Avatar: The Sole Woodbender
by Henryjh98
Summary: Mozukai is graced with the power to bend wood. Sozai is a Fire Nation prince that hates his life. Together, they are linked. Chao Dao, an evil conqueror from the Earth Kingdom, is trying to capture the world. And the Four Fusion Furies, a terrorist group, a also trying to achieve world dominance. Events draw Mozukai and Sozai together, for it is up to them to save the world.
1. Prolouge:Birth of a Woodbender

My summary was pretty bad, but this is the first chapter, the prologue, of my fanon, Avatar: The Sole Woodbender. Enjoy!

_A woman ran through the forest, ducking under branches and leaping over roots. A small bundle was carefully held in her folded arms, protectively shielding it. Not too far behind, three men chased that woman, armed with various weapons, and the fact that they were all able to firebend._

_She ducked under a branch and spun around a tree, attempting to throw the men off of her tail. However, it did not work. She heard them clomping behind her, shouting and crying out threats and swear words. The woman held the bundle closer to her chest and closed her eyes. Sighing, she continued to run. _

_A blast of fire sliced through the air, illuminating the forest and raising the temperature several hundred degrees. Branches and leaves had started to catch fire, igniting brightly and frighteningly. The same woman screamed out as a bush in front of her set fire, blasting ten feet in the air. She turned and scrambled in a different direction._

_One of the men roared in anguish and frustration, sprinting off after her. However, she was very fast and agile, weaving in and out of the trees that blocked her path. The three bandits were less graceful, tripping and stumbling as they ran. _

_And then the bundle in the arms of the woman began to cry. She looked around frantically and then brushed back the bundle, revealing the chubby, smooth face of a dark-haired baby. Tears streaked out of its eyes. "Shh," she whispered. "Shh." _

_The baby continued to cry, but a little quieter. The woman smiled and took off running again. Her short pause had allowed for the men to catch up more than they should be. Dodging around a tree, she ran into a sheltered copse that caused her pursuers to pause for a few short minutes and look around. She darted off, sighing with a relieved sigh. _

_Suddenly, the woman burst into a clearing, moonlight flooding the grass. It looked beautiful, but she was in no condition to admire her surroundings. She had to complete her duty. Not too far behind, she could hear the three men crashing through the undergrowth. The woman was growing tired, and the men were getting closer. However, she was getting closer to completing her duty. A single tear leaked out of her eye at the thought of what she had to do. _

_Soon she was back in the forest, enveloped by dark green leaves and tall black trunks. Moonlight trickled through the gaps in the thick canopy, providing scant light and little to see by. Despite the lack of light, she continued to run at a fast pace, steadily slowing down. _

_Another jet of fire shot out from behind and the woman had to dive away to prevent being burnt to a crisp. She quickly got back up and continued her run. She could tell, as the ground started to slope downward, that she was nearing her destination. The ground turned steeper and she had to run with more caution, or she would slip and fall to her peril. _

_And then the steepest part of the hill came into view. It was nearly a cliff, a sand dune, so very steep, but she knew a safe way down, a quicker way down that would give her five minutes respite from her running. Just long enough to finish her task. _

_A bush covered the entrance to the underground corridor that would lead to the bottom of the hill and the end of her journey. She crawled through that bush and jogged down the corridor, which was nearly pitch dark. She groped around for the wall, to make sure she stayed on the right track and turned at the right times. After about a minute, she was out and standing at the roots of a huge tree, its trunk covered in purple bugs. A large knob, big enough to hold her baby, sat about six feet off the ground. She hopped onto a root and brushed away some glowing purple bugs. Next, the woman laid the bundle on the knob. She closed her eyes and folded her hands in a praying position. _

_"Great Tsuri, Spirit of the Forests, Ruler of Okinuddo, protect this child," she prayed. "Keep him safe throughout his life. Bless him, Great Tsuri. Grant him a power, a power to keep him safe and protected. A power you hold, a power unique and unknown. A power that will let him save the world, as his destiny is foretold. Please, Great Tsuri, hear my prayer. Answer my prayer. I sacrifice myself for this child, make myself holy for this sake. Please, Spirit of the Forests. Please," she concluded._

_For a minute, nothing happened. Then, as the baby continued to cry, a branch lowered down from the tree, its tip bare of leaves. It slowly reached out and lightly touched the baby on the forehead. The baby instantly stopped crying and opened his eyes wide as a red mark was burned onto his forehead, resembling a trident, but more curved and rounded. He lifted a tiny hand and turned it, causing a tiny branch to curl inwards. _

_The woman smiled widely and brushed the side of the baby's face, feeling his hair for the last time. Tears leaked from her eyes and she muttered, "Thank you."_

_More branches came down and wrapped up the baby, taking him higher into the tree, where he would be out of sight from the men chasing her. The woman, turning away, grabbed a baby doll out of her bag and continued to run. She could hear the men chasing after her. She knew that it was all going to end. _

_The last ten minutes of her life went by quickly, all absorbed in thoughts of her new baby. A moment later, she was struck down by a blast of firebending. Unbearable pain ripped through her and she screamed out loudly. However, she was happy. The men caught up to her and looked in her eyes. "Where is he?" one growled. _

_The woman laughed and showed them the bundle. One of them snatched it up and unwrapped it, roaring in anger. He chucked it away, drawing a sword. _

_A flash of steel and a spray of crimson blood. The man had stabbed her in the stomach. Spitting and yelling angrily, the men stalked away. They no longer cared about the woman. It was the baby they wanted. However, she lay on the ground, smiling as tears poured out of her eyes. _

_And as she exhaled her last breath, her final, dying breath, a whisper escaped the closed lips of hers. _

"Mozukai."

Author's Note

*Henryjh98 used a lot of Japenese words and self-created conjunctions in this chapter, such as Okinuddo, but he no longer remembers what Okinuddo means.

*The three firebenders wil reappear later in the series (nudge, nudge, wink wink XD).


	2. Splinters, So Many Splinters

Here it is, Chapter One of ATSW. I don't think it can match the Prologue, but it will leave you begging for more!

Voice of Akhang

'Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

The monks would tell me how since the time of the first Avatar, there have been four bending elements, and a nation to go along with each one; The Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads.

'But everything changed fifteen years ago, when the Earth Kingdom split and a new element rose. On that fateful night, the sky lit up a great, white color, the color of my eyes at my most powerful. Nobody knew what it was.

I do. I know. A fifth element has come into this world, granted by the spirits. The element's entry has defied the Avatar sequence. Defied the world. But the new element is our only hope, our only way to survive. We must protect him, we must.

I believe Mozukai can save the world.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air

Wood.

=== Chapter One ===

As dawn sunlight filtered through the trees and illuminated the cool fog that hung over Kimanchi, a young boy rose out of his bed in his small house suspended in the trees. He changed into his brown tunic and tan trousers, and walked towards the door. Suddenly, the floorboards creaked loudly, waking the other occupants of the house.

The boy cursed under his breath as his caretaker stepped out of his bedroom.

"My gosh, Mozukai, what are you doing up at this hour?" he asked.

Muzokai rolled his eyes. "Hunting," he replied. "The village needs food and I need practice. I need ''practice.''" He put special emphasis on the word "practice".

His caretaker sighed and crossed his arms. "Make sure no one can see you," he muttered.

As Mozukai walked to the front door, his caretaker called out after him. "Stay safe!"

Mozukai chuckled. "You know I will, Gaidan," he replied.

The cool morning breeze felt refreshing as it washed over Mozukai, blowing back his hair. He looked around at the village of Kimanchi, his insides feeling shocked just by looking at it. An uneven ring of twenty-five huge trees surrounded a sheltered clearing with bright green grass, covered in nearly forty wooden, intricate buildings in an organized fashion. However, the trunks and boughs of the trees was the real spectacle.

Almost one hundred buildings were carved and built onto the trees, intricate and beautiful. Walkways encompassed the trunks, allowing for the people to have space to walk on. Rope bridges and wooden planks allowed for the citizens to go from one tree to another, as well as ramps to provide them access to the higher domains and buildings. Mozukai smiled. He never got over the view.

Mozukai slid down the ladder that unfurled from his walkway to get to the ground, where he set off at a jog away from the village and into the forest, dodging around trees and leaping over bramble patches. He was heading deep into the forest, away from the village so no one could see him.

Twenty minutes later, Mozukai decided he was far enough from Kimanchi to begin his hunting, as well as his practice. He breathed in deeply and then took an uncomfortable horse stance, ready to begin.

He surveyed the trees and branches around him, alert for any sort of mammal or fowl that was edible. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again. A monkey squirrel was scurrying across a branch, heading for a large acorn hanging from the bough.

Mozukai swung one of his arms and then chopped down to the ground with the other, curling in his fingers. He looked up and saw a branch above the monkey squirrel swoop down and grab the monkey squirrel by the neck, suspending it in air. The monkey squirrel squealed and squirmed helplessly and Mozukai sighed. He needed to feed his village.

"Thank you,monkey squirrel, for giving your life to my people," he muttered under his breath, before totally clenching his fist.

A small crack echoed through the forest, the sound of the monkey squirrel's neck snapping. Mozukai brought his arm to his chest and the branch obeyed, extending down the Mozukai. The boy released his fist and the branch unfurled itself, letting the dead squirrel drop into Mozukai's open palm.

He grabbed the monkey squirrel and hung it onto his belt, walking away to look for more animals.

During the whole course of his hunt, Mozukai caught five more monkey squirrels, a dove, and a large lop-eared rabbit. He particularly prided himself in the catch of his lop-eared rabbit, seeing as he had spotted it from across a clearing, nibbling at grass around the roots of a huge oak tree. The lop-eared rabbit had hopped up high in the air at the sight of Mozukai, but it never reached the ground. Mozukai woodbent the roots and caused four of the to snatch up the lop-eared rabbit and then break its neck. It was a well-compromised kill and would feed a few people later that night.

Mozukai surveyed his kills; six monkey squirrels, one lop-eared rabbit, and a dove. It was a good load and he could sell it for some money. He was already imagining himself selling his meat to the butcher in the maple tree. Tokor always payed good money for Mozukai's catches.

The forest grew louder as Mozukai approached the village. Now everyone was up and about, starting their day. The noise could be heard, hammer on steel with the blacksmith, the butcher's knives hitting the wooden counter as he chopped meat. Children ran through the trees, playing tag and hide and seek. Mozukai smiled, remembering those days.

"Hey, Mozukai."

A girl dropped from the trees, three knives dangling from her belt. A beautiful girl, her name was Goji and she was Mozukai's age. Mozukai had always had a small crush on her, for she was beautiful. Her dark hair fell in waves past her shoulders and her eyes were a golden brown, shining brightly in the sunlight. Her teeth were a perfect white, standing out against her tan complexion. Mozukai smiled.

"Hello," he greeted.

"Out hunting?" Goji asked.

Mozukai nodded. "My snares are the best," he said.

Goji smiled. "Well, hopefully I'll buy some tonight. Bye."

Mozukai smiled as Goji jogged past him, deeper into the woods. What she was doing, he did not know. Shrugging, Mozukai walked out of the trees and into the village clearing, where several people bustled past.

"Mornin', Mozukai," an elderly man said.

Mozukai smiled and walked deeper into his village, towards the butcher's tree house. He decided to just sell his meat to the butcher and get some money for cheese, bread, and fruit. He climbed up the ladder and onto the rope bridge in between two trees. As he turned right to head to the butcher, a cry of pain made him turn around and look the opposite direction.

"Ow!" the man cried.

Mozukai raised an eyebrow and jogged over the bridge and to the front door of the house. The cry came again, this time even louder.

"Sit still, Rida, and I can get it out!" a feminine voice cried.

"Oww!" Rida, the leader of Kimanchi cried again. "Soshi, stop! Get Mozukai in here! He'll be able to get it out. He is good with this kind of stuff!"

"Fine," snapped Soshi. Mozukai heard her footsteps pounding across the wooden floorboards towards the door.

The wooden door swung open with a loud creak and a young woman with brown hair stepped over the threshold.

"My gosh!" she cried, jumping back when she saw Mozukai. She held her hand to her heart, breathing deeply. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Mozukai smiled. "Sorry," he said. "I heard that Rida needed me?"

Soshi nodded. "Yes, yes, come on in," she muttered, pushing him inside.

Rida stepped out of his room and looked at Soshi. "Soshi, could you please go buy me a pack of leechi nuts?" he said. "I'm starving and we don't have any food."

Soshi nodded. "I might as well," she muttered. "I'll just buy some bread, cheese, fruit, and a monkey squirrel while I'm at it."

Soshi opened up the door and slammed it behind her, stomping down the platform. Mozukai turned to Rida. "So, what's up?" he asked. "I heard you screaming in pain."

"I have this huge splinter in my hand," Rida said, holding his left hand out.

"Holy-!" cried Mozukai. "That's huge!"

The splinter was the size of Mozukai's pinky finger and about as wide. It was dug into Rida's palm deeply, nearly four inches. "Where did you get this?" asked Mozukai.

Rida shrugged. "I have no idea. It was just there when I woke and it ''hurts!" ''

Mozukai nodded. "I can get it out for you," he said. "Just stay still."

Rida nodded and grimaced as Mozukai touched the top of the splinter and closed his eyes, seeing inside the splinter. With his other hand, Mozukai begin to clench and unclench a fist. Slowly, the splinter began to worm its way out of Rida's hand. The skin tore and shredded around the splinter as it came out, for it seemed to be barbed. Mozukai winced, imagining the pain that Rida was in.

And finally, the splinter popped out. Rida clenched his hand and looked up at Mozukai.

"Thank you," he said. "You have helped a lot."

Mozukai nodded and picked the splinter up from the ground. "See the Healer," he said. "That wound looks infected."

Mozukai turned and walked out the door, heading to his house. He stepped over the threshold to see Gaidan standing in the kitchen, washing a ceramic plate.

"Hello," mused Mozukai.

"What are you doing with all that meat?" Gaidan asked.

Mozukai looked down at his belt and saw all of his kills still hanging there. "Shoot!" he said. "I meant to sell those, but then I had to take a huge splinter out of Rida's hand with woodbending. I forgot about them!"

"What splinter?"

"Well, Rida said he woke up with a four inch-splinter in his hand and I got it out," Mozukai replied, handing Gaidan the splinter. "It looks deadly."

"Hmm," Gaidan said. "Notify me if anyone else gets splinters," he muttered.

Mozukai nodded and stepped out of the door, heading back to the butcher's shop. People passed him on his way there, shouting greetings and smiling at him. More and more people flooded out of their homes, starting their work for the day. Soon, nearly all three hundred citizens of Kimanchi were out and about. The walkways were getting crowded and Mozukai couldn't wait to get inside the butcher's shop.

Soon enough, the sign hanging from the flagpole that read "Tokor's Butchery" could be seen across the bridge. Mozukai dodged his way through the crowd and slipped in the open door, where the hulking figure of Tokor stood, slicing meat into pieces.

"Morning, Tokor," said Mozukai.

"Ah, hey Mozukai," said Tokor, looking up at him. "See you have some catches?"

Mozukai nodded.

Tokor smiled and spread his arms wide. "Ada boy!" he cried.

There was a flash of a dark shape and then Tokor roared with pain, slamming his hand down on the table. "Ahhhhh!" he cried, holding his left hand.

Mozukai rushed to the counter. "What?" he asked.

Tokor turned his hand over, revealing a splinter four inches long, dug into his hand.

Mozukai's eyes widened. "Are. . . are you okay?" he asked, his mind lost in the image of Rida's hand punctured by a splinter.

Tokor gasped, sweat beading upon his forehead. He looked up pleadingly at Mozukai. "Please get it out," he whispered.

Mozukai nodded and touched the tip of the splinter. "This'll hurt," he said. "Bad."

Tokor nodded and squeezed his eyes shut. Mozukai began to twist the splinter with one hand and woodbend it out with the other, as to seem like he was not woodbending. Gaidan, Rida, and a few others were the only people who knew what Mozukai was. He was not allowed to tell the other villagers about his ability.

Mozukai plucked the splinter out and Tokor keeled over, gasping in pain. "Ahh," he said. "My hand, it burns."

Mozukai grabbed Tokor's hand and, indeed, the palm looked purple and some of the skin was shredded, bleeding heavily. "Go see the Healer," he instructed. "She'll patch you right up."

Tokor nodded and walked out of the house. At the door, he turned around and said, "Leave your meat on the counter and take seven gold pieces, but don't take any more," he warned. "I know the exact amount inside."

Nodding, Mozukai unhooked his kills and laid them on the counter before pulling out Tokor's money pouch, taking exactly seven pieces before hurrying out the door. He had to tell Gaidan that Tokor had also gotten a splinter.

As his house approached, Mozukai started calling out, "Gaidan! Tokor had a splinter too! Something weird is happening!"

He stomped over the doorway and found Gaidan smiling, standing next to a tall, lean figure with long black hair.

"Ah, good, you are here," said Gaidan. "General Tao needs your help. He has found a splinter in his hand."

"Oh no, not you too," groaned Mozukai.

General Tao grimaced. "I'm not the only one, either," he explained. "Four of my best men have them too and they need someone to pull them out. Now, I am aware of your power, but I wasn't sure if I could let my men see it."

Mozukai sighed. "I know a way to get it out manually, kind of," he said. "I'll do you first."

General Tao stuck out his hand and Mozukai quickly levitated the huge splinter out with woodbending, before carefully laying it on the table. General Tao smiled. "Thank you, Mozukai," he said. "I'll go get my men over here."

"No, I'll do it at the barracks," argued Mozukai. "You go see the Healer."

Sighing, General Tao walked out of the house. "If you insist," he muttered.

Mozukai turned to Gaidan. "That's seven people that have been stabbed by splinters," he said. "What does it mean?"

Gaidan shrugged. "I truly don't know," he said. "Very mysterious. . . "

Mozukai rolled his eyes. "I'm off to the barracks. Hopefully no one else will be 'afflicted' by a splinter anytime soon."

"Don't give away your power to the guards," warned Gaidan.

Mozukai nodded and headed out of his house and out around to the back deck, which looked over the serene forest. He climbed up onto the plank that reached into a nearby tree and walked to it, soon stepping onto the bridge. For nearly a half mile, Mozukai walked on bridges, wide branches, and planks on his way to the barracks.

And there they were. A huge building was built on eight trees forming a square. A tower sat at each corner of the building and had little slits for windows. A gate dominated the front side of the wall. On the inside of the wall were eight buildings, six dorms for the guards, and one for eating and meetings. The final building doubled as the armory and the infirmary.

Mozukai walked up to the gate. "General Tao sent me here for your men with splinters!" he called to the guards up at the top of the wall.

One of the guards nodded and the gate opened. Four soldiers were waiting right at the entrance, all holding out their palms. Mozukai sighed heavily and went to work on the first one, until all four guards didn't have splinters anymore. "Listen, go to the Healer in the village and have her take a look at your hands."

All four guards nodded and jogged past him, out the gates. Mozukai climbed down a ladder and walked back on forest floor.

As the village came into sight, Mozukai set off at a run. He wanted to see if the Healer had made any progress on all the people he had sent to her. His surroundings began to blur as he picked up his speed and then. . .

WHAM!

Mozukai went sprawling to the ground, his head aching badly. He brought a hand to his forehead and touched it; a bump was already forming on it. He looked around and saw another figure leaning against a tree.

"Sorry about that, Mozukai," said the man.

It was Paimok, the only earthbender in Kimanchi village. "Oh, hey Paimok," he stuttered.

"I needed to find you, because I have a splinter in my hand," Paimok said.

"Oh no," muttered Mozukai.

"What?" asked Paimok.

"You're the eighth person in the village with a huge splinter in their hand," he explained. "I don't think anything good is about to happen."

"Just use your woodbending to get it out," snapped Paimok. "It hurts!"

Mozukai raised his eyebrows but approached Paimok nevertheless and quickly removed it with woodbending, before scraping up a hole and covering the splinter in the ground.

"Thanks," Paimok muttered, holding his left hand tightly. "I'll go see the Healer."

"I'll walk with you," Mozukai said. "I want to see the others who have gone there, too."

"Okay."

The duo walked back into the village together, heading towards a small shack on the ground, where the healer lived. It was on the outside of the village square, one side of which was facing the open forest. All the people that had been stabbed by splinters were lingering at the entrance.

"Mozukai," said Rida, dipping his head. "The Healer cannot do anything about our splinter wounds."

"Strange," Mozukai said.

"Mine really hurts," said one of the soldiers.

Another muttered, "I think mine is infected."

By now, most of the village was watching and listening at the conversation. Most heads were turned to them, most eyes looking confused, most ears eager to hear the rest of the story. Mozukai felt a bit uncomfortable and looked around awkwardly.

Rida stepped forward. "Thank you, Mozukai, for taking out our unusual splinters," he said. "You have helped-"

Rida's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slipped to the ground, unconscious. The four guards did the same, followed by Tokor. General Tao started yelling commands, none of which Mozukai understood. He stepped back in fear as the village began to mutter loudly and nervously. Then, General Tao collapsed and Paimok was the final one standing. He looked around nervously and opened his mouth. . .

It was too late. He slumped down on the floor; a spread eagle on the ground.

"Greetings!"

Several people screamed and panic began to spread throughout the village. Mozukai's head turned to the source of the sound and he saw twelve shadowy figures standing under two large trees, each holding large flames in their hands.

The village was under siege.

== Author's Notes ==

*The author enjoys leaving the readers on a cliffhanger, like he just did.

*Even Henryjh98 admits the splinters are a rather silly and confusing method of pre-attack.

*For some reason, he has left only two notes on two pages. Whoops, he just realized that he had three on this page XD


	3. Corridors of Boredom

Chapter Two is up! This one's about Sozai and his life in the Fire Nation.

_  
Voice of Akhang

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

The monks would tell me how since the time of the first Avatar, there have been four bending elements, and a nation to go along with each one; The Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads.

But everything changed fifteen years ago, when the Earth Kingdom split and a new element rose. On that fateful night, the sky lit up a great white color, the color of my eyes at my most powerful. Nobody knew what it was.

I do. I know. A fifth element has come into this world, granted by the spirits. The element's entry has defied the Avatar cycle. Defied the world. But the new element is our only hope, our only way to survive. We must protect it. We must.

I belive Mozukai can save the world.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Wood.  
_

Corridors of Boredom

Sozai sulked down the hall, heading, with his shoulders slouched, to his quarters at the end of the hall. He could already see the huge doors resting on the walls, granting entrance the bedroom of Prince Sozai, newphew of Fire Lord Kasai.

A pushed open the doors and stepped into his lavish quarters, a large stone room with a huge, four poster bed resting against the back wall. A long, thin carpter covered the flagstone ground, red and gold with the emblem of the Fire Nation. Sozai's desk was propped against the wall under a window, covered in piles of paper and quills and books. A diamond chandelier hung from the ceiling, tiny flames flickering in each candle holder. Two ornate dressers stood on either side of Sozai, which held his numerous clothes and possesions. Finally, at the back of the room was an open doorway that led into a hallway of which the prince's bathroom and closet were. Also, there was a door in that hall that granted entrance into a palace courtyard.

Throwing his knapsack on the floor, Sozai flung himself onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, sighing audibly. His Fire Nation royal life was so boring, so depressing. Nothing ever changed in those bland corridors of boredom. The same bland rooms, the boring servants, the uptight lords and ladies. Sozai could only stay on track by planning his escape of Royal Caldera City.

The door of his room creaked open and Sozai's mother, Uluza, strode in. "Sozai, is something wrong?"

Sozai sighed, sitting up. "No, Mother, everything is perfect. Everything is safe. Everything is fine."

Uluza walked over to his bed and sat down, putting her hand on Sozai's shoulder. Sozai shrugged it off and scowled.

"Sozai, dear, I know you think this is boring," she said, "but the city is too dangerous, much less the entire world."

The anger residing in Sozai's stomach boiled and churned, that comment making it want to explode. For a spli second, Sozai fought himself, but the anger won. "That's rich!" he roared. "It's not safe! Oh, it's not safe for me because I'm royal! Well, it's not safe for them either, but you don't see their parents keeping them in a palace, do you? No, you don't! I hate this stupid palace! I hate you stupid people! I hate my life!"

For several moments, Sozai was standing, his chest heaving in and out with anger. Much to his surprise, Uluza was not even remotely shocked at her son's outburst. In confusion, Sozai raised an eyebrow. Uluza pursed her lips and stood up.

"Sozai, you will just never understand," she muttered, turning around and walking out of the room, her robes swishing behind her.

Suddenly, a feeling of curiousity, Sozai jogged up to his door. "Wait!" he cried. "What won't I understand?"

Uluza ignored him; she just kept waking down the hall and disappeared around a corner.

Sozai leaned out the door and opened his mouth, but sighed and turned around, plopping back onto his bed and staring at the ceiling, his mind wandering through his imagined life as a free boy running around and playing in the woods.

Two hours later, Sozai's door creaked open and in walked a tall young boy with jet black hair and pale grey eyes. His red and black robes swished as he walked in and stood next to Sozai's bed.

"Hey, Sozai," said the boy.

He muttered, "Mozu."

Mozu was Sozai's best friend, and they had been since the age of two. He was the son of General Zouki, the leader of the Fire Nation military. "What's wrong?" he asked, sighing loudly.

"You know what," growled Sozai.

"I know you want to go out of the palace," Mozu said sympathetically, "but your parents won't let you."

"I hate this stupid palace, the stupid city, the stupid nation!" yelled Sozai. "All these dumb, idiotic, uptight royal people! I hate them!'

Smiling slightly, Mozu said, "Understandable."

"I just want to leave," he murmured. "I want to get out. Get out of hell."

Mozu sat down. "Well, I am friendly with some of the guards," he said, reaching into his pocket. "And they'll take a bribe," he added slyly, wiggling ten gold coins in his hand.

Sozai smiled. "You could do that?" asked the prince.

"Of course!" Mozu said. "We can get out into the city. I know it's not much, but it's a change of landscape and variety."

"Let's go, then," exclaimed Sozai.

"Meet me outside the dining hall," said Mozu. "I'm going to go get some money and other things. Be there in ten minutes!" he called over his shoulder as he ran out of the room."

Sozai smiled widely as Mozu ran out of the room and around the corner in the hall. He was going to get out of the palace for the first time in a year. He walked into his closet and bent down, pushing away some old robes and revealing a large shoulder bag. Inside held a couple chagnes of clothes, some gold, a bit of food, a journal, and a couple of possesions of Sozai. He looked at it longingly and debated whether or not to bring it.

In the end, Sozai decided to get it, so he scooped up the bag and threw it over his shoulder and walked out of his room, slamming the door shut behind him. A few of Sozai's distant cousins walked by him in the hall, but they paid each other no heed. Sozai just wanted to get to the dining hall so he could get out of the palace.

Then a lena, tall, and muscular figure in golden robes was standing in front of Sozai. His long black hair fell down to his shoulder blades and upon his head was the Fire Lord crown piece. Fire Lord Kasai, Sozai's nephew.

Sozai bowed slightly and then looked into Kasai's face. "Greetings, Uncle," he said.

"Nephew Sozai," replied Kasai. "And where would you be going?" he asked.

Sozai felt momentary panic flood his chest, but he recovered quickly. "I. . . I am going to meet Mozu, my friend, to go hang out," he stammered.

Kasai was silent for a while, but then he said, "You are bribing the guards to go out in the city, aren't you?"

Sozai opened his mouth to form the word "no", but dropped his head and said, "Yes."

Smiling, Kasai patted Sozai on the back. "Don't leave the caldera and make sure you have nothing to do with any of the gangs near the southern rim."

Sozai smiled and nodded. "Got it."

He turned around and walked in the direction of the dining hall where he would meet Mozu. As he entered the hall, he could see Mozu pacing back in forth, obviously a little nervous. Sozai rushed up to him and waved. "Hello," he mused, feeling strangely happy. Well, why woulnd't he be? The Fire Lord had just given him permission to wander about the town.

"What kept you?" asked Mozu, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

Smiling, Sozai replied. "I ran into Fire Lord Kasai and he asked what I was doing. I lied, but he knew that I was going out into the city. And even better, he let me go!"

Mozu grinned, flashing white teeth. "How cool is that!"

"I know," muttered Sozai. "But we have to stay in Royal Caldera. We can't go down the harbor. I wish we could. I haven't been down since I was seven."

Mozu shrugged. "It's nothing much. Mostly just poor people trying to make a living fishing for the capital. There are some nice manors though."

The guards at the front door came into view and Sozai and Mozu picked up pace. When they reached the doors, the two firebending guards with long halberds looked at them.

"What?" asked one.

"Well, you see," began Mozu, "my friend and I want to take a step outside, just to get some fresh air." He smiled and winked, looking hopeful at the guards.

Both of them looked at each and then the second one said, "Then go out in the courtyards. Plenty of fresh air there," he growled.

"Maybe you'd like to reconsider that," Mozu continued, flashing a couple of his coins.

The guards' eyes flashed a brief sign of interest, but it continued to the normal, stone-like stare. Sozai nudged Mozu with his elbow nervously and said, "Are you sure about this?"

Mozu nodded and smiled grimly. "The courtyards are not outside, strictly speaking," he went on. "Like I said, we want to go outside, not outside but being surrounded by walls." In that moment, he quickly flashed all ten coins at once and the eyes of the guards lit up.

Then Mozu dropped his coins, but seemed not to notice and looked at the guards, a pleading look in his eyes. He took a step forward, and the guards kept eyeing the coins lying scattered on the ground.

"Stay safe," the first guard said. "I don't want to have to stand in front of your parents if you get hurt or killed."

The doors opened and Sozai nearly leapt out, he was so excited. Mozu continued at a more casual pace. But, as Sozai's foot touched the first stair, a cry from the guards brought him to a halt.

"Sir Mozu, would you like your coins?" they called.

Mozu spun around and smiled. "No, keep them!" he replied. "I don't need them."

There was a quick pounding sound as the guards scrambled to get the most coins. It only lasted a moment and Sozai assumed that they both grabbed coins and managed to get some money.

"So where should we go first?" asked Sozai. "What are some fun places to go to?"

"Well, I guess we could visit the Scalding Shackles Pub," Mozu suggested. "It's a kind of seedy bar near the southern rim of the volcano. It's an interesting place."

"Kasai told me to stay away from the southern rim gangs," said Sozai.

"The gangs, Sozai, not the actual rim. Now, come in this alley and change into more civilian clothing."

Quickly, the two boys changed out of their robes and into trousers and black shirts before pulling on red vests. They stuffed their robes into Mozu's bag and began to walk towards the southern rim.

And finally, they got there. It was on a backstreet, with cracks in the pavement and ramshackles, run down houses that had doors falling off the frames and caved in windows. The Scalding Shackles was in a two-story building with a padoga roof and a red trim on the roof. The building was made out of limestone, which was turning a grayish color. Hanging from a second story window was a wooden sign that read

THE SCALD NG SHACKLES P B

A red stain was splattered against the sign, and it didn't look like tomato sauce.

"Looks top quality," Sozai stammered nervously.

"Oh, come on, Sozai, it'll be fine," Mozu urged, pushing Sozai through the front door.

Ten tables sat in the middle of the medium sized room, all in bad condition. Benches leaning against the walls served as sitting places for even more tables. A wooden counter surrounded a bar, the shelf behind it stocked with alcohol. A man, with a scraggly grey mane of hair and wearing an eyepatch, stood behind the counter polishing a dirty glass. Several people were scattered around the room, gambling, drinking, for fuming for a fight.

As they walked in, every head in the bar turned to the duo of sixteen year olds. Sozai smiled nervously, but Mozu frowned and walked to a nearby chair, sitting down and looking around.

"So, how do you like it?" asked Mozu.

Sozai's eyes darted around the room. "I guess it's okay. I feel a little nervous, though."

"Oh, don't be," Mozu said. "We'll be fine."

Just at that moment, a loud yell sounded in the tavern and a huge man pushed a smaller, but still large man, against the wall.

"Where's my money!" he bellowed, holding the man by his throat. "I won, so give me my money!"

The man against the wall looked around nervously. "I-I never had three gold pieces. I on-only had t-t-two pieces!"

"Then give me my stinking two pieces!" roared the man.

"Okay, just put me down!"

The huge man obliged and dropped his captive, who crumpled to the ground in a heap. Fuming, the huge man stepped backwards, but trod on a lithe woman's foot. She spun around and stared deep into the man's eyes.

"Watch where you're going!" she screeched.

"Watch where you're standin'!" retorted the man.

The woman raised her hand and slapped the man across the face. The smaller man stil on teh ground took advantage of the situation and stood up, punching his enemy in the neck. The man, who Sozai had dubbed Big Bo, turned around and picked the man up again, throwing him across the room.

That single move began a bar fight, and possibly saved Sozai and Mozu's lives. Everyone in the bar launched themselves into the fray and it became a push-shove-punch contest.

"We best skidaddle!" Mozu said cheerfully, popping up out of his seat and grabbing Sozai.

Agreeing, Sozai broke free of Mozu's grip and sprinted out the front door. He ran to the opposite side of the street and hugged the wall, a little in shock.

"Well, that didn't turn out-" Mozu was cut off when he yelled out in fear.

A collosal rock soared through the air and crashed down onto the front of the bar, smashing the wall down and exploding instantly. Mozu and Sozai were thrown to the ground. Sozai hit the stone pavement hard and felt his head bang against a wall.

Dust and debris flew everywhere, clouding the sky and posing a huge threat. Sozai blinked twice and stood, holding his head with his hand. But once he regained his footing, he slipped right back down and landed on his backside, a searing pain splittig through him.

"They're rocks full of ice!" he cried at Mozu.

Mozu slid away from the ice and stood up, beckoning to Sozai. "Come on!" he screamed. "We gotta get out of here!"

People began flooding out of their houses, looking at the cause of the loud noise in confusion and fear. Several people stumbled out of the bar, coughing and hacking, but Sozai assumed the others were stuck or crushed by the rock.

Screams echoed from a nearby street, followed by a huge crash. Another rock had landed. And again, more faintly, a huge thud was audible farther away. More and more citizens flooded out of their houses, screaming and running pell-mell through the streets.

Sozai and Mozu sprinted down the street, careful to watch the sky for any incoming blocks, but luckily, none seemed to be too close.

"What's going on!" cried Sozai as they weaved in and out of the crowd. Occasionally, they came upon patches of ice that clearly meant a rock had hit there.

They scrambled off of the road and onto a grassy patch that led up a hill on the rim of the volcano. Sozai and Mozu sprinted up it, hoping to see what was going on.

Sozai summited the hill and looked out over the land spread below him. For a moment, he was too lost in the beauty of the view to really see what he should be seeing, but he snapped out of it and his vision drifted to the harbor of the port town.

"Oh my. . . " his voice trailed off.

An enormous fleet of Earth Kingdom pirate ships were anchored in the bay, catapulting rocks into the city, covering a huge distance in one throw. Streams of green clad men scurried off the ships, sprinting into battle in the Harbor Town.

Sozai's eyes grew wide in fear. What was happening was unheard of for decades. Centuries.

The Fire Nation Capital was under attack.

== Author's Note ==

*Again, the author left you people at a cliffhanger.

*The author just felt so clever when he came up with this name.

*He enjoyed writing about the Caldera City


	4. Fire and Flight

Here is chapter three, my most exciting chapter yet! Enjoy!

Voice of Ahkang

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

The monks would tell me how since the time of the first Avatar, there have been four bending elements, and a nation to go along with each one; The Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads.

But everything changed fifteen years ago, when the Earth Kingdom split and a new element rose. On that fateful night, the sky lit up a great white color, the color of my eyes at my most powerful. Nobody knew what it was.

I do. I know. A fifth element has come into this world, granted by the spirits. The element's entry has defied the Avatar cycle. Defied the world. But the new element is our only hope, our only way to survive. We must protect it. We must.

I belive Mozukai can save the world.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Wood.

=== Fire and Flight ===

The twelve men stood at the front of Kimanchi, flames burning in their hands.

Screams and shouts echoed throughout the town, escaping the mouths of terrified people.

The leader of the group stepped forward and smiled wickedly.

"We are looking for a boy!" he proclaimed. "A boy with special powers." he emphasized the word special.

As he finished speaking, one of his men leaped forward and shot a blast of flames at a nearby house, setting it on fire. Several people ran out screaming.

Mozukai stood there, appalled and angered. He knew that they wanted him, but he wasn't going to go down without a fight. Turning to a young boy standing nearby, Mozukai said, "Get to the barracks and gather our forces! Be fast and don't be seen!

The boy nodded and slipped into the crowd, sprinting towards the trees. "WHERE IS HE!" screamed the man. Mozukai took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He needed to concentrate. "Mozukai, don't," ordered Gaidan, coming up beside him.

"I have to," the wood bender replied. He took a step forward and breathed in, letting his anger take over.

"Do you think you can come to our village and knock out our leaders," Mozukai yelled, and then continued, "then attack our people so you can take one of us captive?"

The leader was silent for a moment, but then smiled. "Pretty much," he said evilly.

Mozukai smiled violently. "Well...well you are wrong!"

"And you think you can stop us?" the leader taunted.

"Pretty much," Mozukai growled.

"Well...well you are wrong!"

Mozukai laughed and then the twelve firebenders crouched into fighting stances. He raised his hands and winked at them. Confused, they all looked at each other. "What, are you trying to earthbend!" one roared. "There is only one bender I'm this village! So, trying to earthbend?"

Mozukai frowned and shook his head. "Not quite," he murmured.

He jumped forward, spun around in the air, and landed, pushing his hands outward. In response to his actions, the branches of one tree swooped down and snatched up the firebender, banging him against he trunk.

Gasps of surprise echoed throughout the town and people murmured and muttered loudly. The firebenders stood shocked, their arms at their sides. {C}Their leader recovered quickest and screamed, "That's him! He is the one we need!"

Mozukai brought his hands in the air and then quickly swiped down to the ground. A huge bough slammed onto a skinny firebender, smashing him to the dirt. Mozukai could hear the sickening crunch as his bones broke.

Two of the firebenders jumped forward and crouched to the ground, punching out their fists and unleashing a torrent of white hot fire. Reacting quickly, Mozukai curled his arms around his body and dozens of branches wrapped around him. The shield of wood deflected the fire and saved Mozukai from being burned to a crisp.

The two firebenders rushed at Mozukai, their arms ready to shoot fire at him. They passed near a tree, much to their demise. Mozukai lifted his hands and twirled them around, causing the roots of the tree to emerge from the ground and ensnare the two enemies. The roots retreated to their normal positions, but not before burying the firebenders up to their chins in the ground. They struggled helplessly, trying to escape.

Mozukai could tell the eight remaining firebenders were getting more cautious, staying farther away from the trees. Mozukai smiled, noticing that three of them were passing near a bramble thicket. Smiling, Mozukai pushed out his hands. The bramble thicket soared out of the ground, its roots showing, tugging at the earth. The thorns formed a huge wave and crashed down upon the unsuspecting firebenders. They screamed in pain as the sharp thorns stabbed into their body, drawing crimson blood.

span style="font-style: italic;"Seven down, five to go, /spanhe thought grimly to himself.

Suddenly, five jets of fire blasted towards him. Mozukai ducked under two and deflected the other three with his shield of thick, thick wood. He rolled around his shield and pounded on the ground, shooting both his hands out. Roots reached out of the ground and branches soared down, snatching up the firebenders. However, the leader, leapt over them all and shot three blasts of fire at Mozukai.

Mozukai again deflected them with his shield, much to the leader's dismay. He groaned loudly, obviously wanting to get his mission over with. But Mozukai, had similar thoughts in mind. He wanted to destroy this gaggle of firebenders. Quickly, he jumped over his shield and sliced his hands outwards. Ten wooden darts zipped towards the firebender.

While he was attacking, Mozukai failed to notice a blast of fire cackling towards him. One minute, he was fine, and the next minute his leg was burning terribly. "Ahh!" he screamed, collapsing to the ground and holding his leg. He looked down and saw the skin burning, a horrible rotting smell. It was turning a nasty color and he felt sick. But he had to protect his village.

Recovering rapidly, Mozukai twirled his hands gracefully and watched as the branches of a massive tree next to the leader beautifully bended down and ensnared the firebender, pulling him off of the ground and bringing him right up to the trunk of the tree. Mozukai smiled and tightened the grip on the man.

The firebender laughed loudly and slyly. "You are powerful, you are," he proclaimed. "And you won, too. Huh, happy about that?" he added giddily.

"But you didn't win, boy!" he yelled.

In response, a huge explosion blasted apart some trees and more firebenders, dozens more, stumbled into the village, ready to fight. Mozukai's eyes widened in fear and he took a step back, watching as the firebenders sent jets of fire into the village, lighting houses and shops on fire. People began to scream and panic, running haywire around the town and forest.

Mozukai jumped in fear as he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He spun around and saw Gaidan standing there, a nervous gleam in his eyes. He was holding several bundles in his hands. "Go, Mozukai!" he urged. "Leave! They want you. They will take you to prison and kill you. Go!"

"But. . . no I. . .I have to stay and fight!" the woodbender argued.

Gaidan sternly shook his head. "It's not safe. The guards will handle it. Now go!"

Mozukai looked around nervously. "Where will I go? I have no money and no clothes or food."

"Head to Ba Sing Se," Gaidan said. "Join a village. Just get away from here! I have supplies for you, with gold, clothes, food, and a sleeping roll." He stuck the bundles out to Mozukai and the boy took them, throwing them over his shoulder.

Quickly, Gaidan slid a quiver full of arrows off of his shoulder. "Take these."

Mozukai laughed grimly. "I don't have a bow!"

Gaidan said, "Think, boy! Woodbending! This is for when you have no wood! Now leave! Go!"

Mozukai graciously took the quiver and threw it over his shoulder. He nodded a thank you and a farewell to Gaidan and sprinted away, dodging through the buildings and rolling around people. He crashed out of the burning village and stumbled into the forest, running in no particular direction. Mozukai was just trying to place as much distance between him and Kimanchi village. Briefly, he glimpsed the Kimanchi Warriors running through the forest to the aid of the town. He prayed silently that they would win against the Fire Nation Raiders.

For nearly fifteen minutes, Mozukai hobbled at a high speed through the woods to his unknown destination. But, as he ran, he tripped over a fallen log and tumbled into a small hollow filled with soft moss.

Mozukai grunted as he hit the ground, but tucked into a roll and quickly regained his footing. A shock of pain jolted through his leg that was burning, but he suffered through it and winced slightly.

And then his senses came to him and he saw his surroundings. Two firebenders stood at attention, guarding four people slumped against a tree stump, wooden chains binding their wrists. Mozukai saw a young air nomad with blue arrows, a tall, muscular Earth Kingdom boys wearing green robes, a girl who looked like the boy's sister, and finally, a beautiful girl with flowing brown hair and startling blue eyes, garbed in Water Tribe clothing. He noticed, that ten feet from the stump, four wooden staffs were propped up against a tree.

"Hey, who are you?" demanded one of the firebenders, stomping up to Mozukai.

Mozukai gulped and staggered back, raising his hands defensively. He looked around and saw the prisoners watching him with interest. They sat up and looked at the scene, wide-eyed.

"I repeat, who are you?" the firebender roared.

"You're about to find out," Mozukai slyly muttered.

The firebender charged at him, brandishing a sword and a flaming palm. Mozukai grabbed one of his arrows and held it in his hand, hesitating. He didn't want to kill this man, or kill either of these men, but he had to if he was to escape the hollow.

The second firebender jumped high in the air and blasted several fire jets. Mozukai ungracefully dove out of the way, firing his arrow with woodbending at the first firebender, propelling it at an astonishing speed. It struck the man in the heart and he toppled down, dead.

With a soft thud, the other firebender landed and leaped backward, kicking out and shooting a spiral of flames at Mozukai. Mozukai slid under the flames, feeling the intense heat upon his face. Beads of sweat began to form, but by then he was out in open air and shooting another arrow at the man.

Much to Mozukai's demise, the man incinerated the arrow and shot blinding orange fire. Mozukai tried to roll out of the way, but his burnt leg was slowing him. He was hit with the full blast, but luckily did not catch fire. The flames jolted him backwards and threw him against a tree. His head struck the bark with powerful force, causing Mozukai to see stars and feel dizzy. He blinked several times and staggered up, drawing another arrow.

The firebender was too busy grovelling in his "victory" to notice that Mozukai had regained his balance and was still able to fight. Quickly, Mozukai fired the arrow and watched as it sped towards the man.

Loud laughs echoed from the man's mouth, his eyes squinted shut and unable to see Mozukai fire the arrow. He raised his hands to shoot flames at Mozukai and opened his eyes. His smile faded and his eyes widened. But it was too late. The arrow struck him in the heart and the man fell to his knees, swaying with his mouth agape. A bead of blood trickled out of his mouth and the swayed again, falling to the side in a still position of death, his eyes colorless and lifeless, his skin pale and cold.

Mozukai staggered over to him and grabbed the arrow, yanking it out of the man's chest. Blood sprayed and trickled down the body and into the ground. The woodbender retrieved his other arrow and then looked at the prisoners. He was starting to feel a little dizzy and color began to flood his vision.

The girl garbed in Water Tribe clothing looked alarmed and she tried to drag herself free of her chains.

"I can help you!" she said. "With my waterbending. Just set us out of these chains and I'll help you."

Mozukai grunted and took a couple of week steps over to the prisoners. He grabbed the chains on the girl's hand and snapped them open with woodbending. The girl darted away, grabbed a small pouch near the staffs, and squatted next to Mozukai as he tumbled to the ground. She bended the water out of the pouch and pressed her hands and the water against Mozukai's skin. Instantly, his burning thigh felt better, but he still was weak and slipping into unconsciousness. The girl looked at his face, alarmed and scared as Mozukai's eyes fluttered closed.

And then everything went black.

The boy woke in the hollow with four people leaning over him. They all looked a little wary and seemed on edge as he sat up. His head felt fuzzy and his leg was burning, but not as bad. The healing water had really helped with the burning sensation in Mozukai's thigh.

"Good, you are awake," the girl said, helping Mozukai sit up. She tipped some water into his mouth and instantly, he felt better. The fuzziness in his head receded and the pain dissolved. His body, however, still ached from the fighting and from being tossed around.

"May I ask who you are?" said the tall boy with long hair in the green clothing.

Mozukai blinked twice and looked at the boy. "Well, who are you?"

"I'm Kori," the waterbender said. "I'm from the Northern Water Tribe."

The young girl dressed simirlarly to the tall boy smiled slightly. "Most call me Ishi. Me and my idiot brother, Shom, are from Ba Sing Se. We left and then got captured with our friends here."

Mozukai nodded and smiled. "Well, I am Mozukai and I am from the town of Kimanchi."

Kori smiled widely. "I saw you firing arrows, but you have no bow! How did you do that?"

Mozukai shrugged. "You'll find out soon enough, I'd assume."

The short, skinny boy in yellow robes stepped forward. Mozukai could clearly see the blue arrows that traveled his chi paths along his body. He looked very powerful, despite his tiny size. He couldn't be more than sixteen or seventeen. "I am Akhang of the Northern Air Temple. And I am the Avatar."

Mozukai's eyes widened. "The Avatar?" he asked, awe and wonder in his voice.

"Yes," said Akhang. "Successor to Avatar Kashang, the Fire Nation Avatar that was born one hundred and sixteen years ago."

"Wow," mused the woodbender. "That's cool."

Shom stepped forward with his arms crossed and looking impatient. "Anyway, my friends and I have somewhere to be going now, so if you don't mind we are going to leave."

"Where are you going?" asked Mozukai eagerly, standing up.

"I don't know, just traveling around the Earth Kingdom," replied Ishi. "Hopefully, though, we won't get attacked by some of Chao Dao's forces."

"Chao Dao?"

"The Earth Kingdom lord who is waging war against Earth King Tanug," said Kori. "He has captured a fourth of the kingdom."

"Let me come," Mozukai said. "I really need to leave this place and I want to see the world!"

The four friends looked at each other. Shom stood shaking his head, but Kori seemed eager and Akhang and Ishi seemed fine with it. "You realize how dangerous this will be?" Ishi asked.

Mozukai nodded.

"No," said Shom angrily. "We aren't letting some stranger into our group. He could be an assassin or slaver."

"Shut up!" Ishi snapped.

"Will he be able to travel with us?" asked Kori. "He doesn't have a glider."

"Where are you heading at the moment?" Mozukai questioned.

"To the nearby mountains where our ride is," explained Akhang kindly. "Could you keep up with us? We will be on gliders."

"Just fly low and I'll be fine, as long as I am over trees," Mozukai answered, smiling.

"Follow us," said Akhang. He leaped forward, grabbed his glider, and blasted himself in the air with airbending, beginning to glide through the sky. He repeated the actions with his friends and soon they darted out of the clearing.

Mozukai spun his hands and two branches came down and grabbed his around the waste. He began to smoothly wave his hands and arms and the branches started pulling him back and forth. Then, once he had enough momentum, he thrust his hands out. The branches shot forward and propelled him through the leaves of a tree and into the sky. He soared thirty feet above the trees, passing just above Shom. Mozukai smiled and then twirled his arms. Branches shot up from the trees and pushed him forward a bit, with just enough power to get to the next tree.

Kori and Ishi squealed in shock and entertainment at seeing Mozukai's power. Akhang smiled and even Shom looked impressed. Mozukai looked out over the forest, seeing beauty and tranquility in the red and orange canopy, the huge mountains in the distance. As he flew from tree to tree, Mozukai felt freedom for the first time in his life. Finally, he was out of Kimanchi and in the free wilderness.

Thirty minutes later, Akhang flew down and landed on the ledge of one of the mountains. Kori, Ishi, and Shom all flooded their gliders and softly landed next to the Avatar. Mozukai, a little behind, caused a huge branch to come out of the canopy and shot him forward. Gracefully, Mozukai flipped twice and landed, crouching on the cold stone.

Akhang clapped and Kori smiled. Shom scowled and rolled his eyes. Mozukai ignored the Earth Kingdom boy.

"Mozukai, that was amazing!" shouted Kori. "What type of bending was that?"

Mozukai smiled. "Woodbending," he said.

"Woodbending?" shrieked Ishi. "That's awesome!"

Mozukai smiled and looked at Akhang. "Quite impressive. I've never seen anything like it. But we should get out of here. We need to leave and get to our destination," Akhang said.

Mozukai nodded as Akhang whistled. The airbender turned to Mozukai and smiled. "Mozukai, meet Yangto."

A monstrous roar echoed throughout the mountains and Mozukai heard huge feet hit the ground. Stepping out of the shadows was a giant, white furred creature with six legs and two horns. It was amazing and awesome, powerful and huge.

Out of the darkness, a huge sky bison emerged. Mozukai's eyes lit up with a mix of fear and awe. The sky bison was amazing. He had never seen anything like it. Mozukai turned and looked at Akhang. "This is yours?"

"Yangto and I have been companions for years," said the Avatar, petting his sky bison on the head. "But we'd better hurry; we need to get out of here."

Yangto laid down and Shom, Ishi, and Kori scurried up the side, sitting on the huge saddle atop the bison's back. Akhang jumped and spun, using airbending to boost himself in the air. He landed on Yangto's head and sat down between the shoulders and the back of the his head. He grabbed reins and looked expectantly at Mozukai.

"Come on, Mozukai!" he said. "Climb on! We need to get going."

Mozukai smiled and nodded, jumping up onto the bison's side and hoisting himself up into the saddle. He walked over to the side, a few feet from Kori, and sat down. The waterbender smiled but Shom gave him looks of utmost contempt.

"Yangto, to-fao!" Akhang proclaimed.

For a moment, Mozukai was very confused. Why was he speaking random words to Yangto? He opened his mouth to question it, but was cut short as his body was lurched backwards and the giant bison took off from the ledge and soared into the setting sun.

== Author's Notes ==

*Originally, this chapter was going to be called Fight and Flight, but the author changed his mind because that was the title of a chapter in the fifth Harry Potter, and he wanted to be original in his works.

*It took a long time for Henry to decide what to have Yangto respond to to fly.

*This chapter was supposed to end when Yangto came out of the cave, but he decided it was too hard to make that into a good ending, so he continued to write until Yangto took off.


	5. A Trio of Thieves

Voice of Ahkang

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

The monks would tell me how since the time of the first Avatar, there have been four bending elements, and a nation to go along with each one; The Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads.

But everything changed fifteen years ago, when the Earth Kingdom split and a new element rose. On that fateful night, the sky lit up a great white color, the color of my eyes at my most powerful. Nobody knew what it was.

I do. I know. A fifth element has come into this world, granted by the spirits. The element's entry has defied the Avatar cycle. Defied the world. But the new element is our only hope, our only way to survive. We must protect it. We must.

I belive Mozukai can save the world.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Wood.

===A Trio of Thieves===

Sozai could still see the hundreds of ships flashing in his mind as he and Mozu ran back in the direction of the palace. Rocks flew through the sky, exploding ice on impact.

"How do they do that?" asked Mozu. "How do rocks explode ice? It doesn't make sense!"

Sozai shrugged. "We need to get back to the-"

He was cut off as someone ran out of their house and pushed him to the side. The crowd was getting larger and everyone was panicking. Sozai and Mozu were shunted along with the throng of people. The prince grabbed onto his friend, so they would not get sperated in the panicking group.

Screams and shouts ripped apart the sky. People yelled for loved ones and family as they were pushed apart. Soon, the screams grew even louder and noisier, followed by a great boom. Sozai and Mozu were thrown against a wall by the sheer force of the impact. Just twenty feet away, there was a huge circle of ice, and in the center of the ring were several crushed bodies and tangled heaps of the poor souls who had been smashed by the rock.

"Run!" screamed Mozu. "Just run!"

Sozai and Mozu scurried up and sprinted off in what they thought was the direction of the palace. Little did they know that they were heading the opposite direction, and with each step they took it made it even harder to reach their real destination.

Another boulder soared over the ridge of the caldera and exploded right over a fountain that Mozu and Sozai were running too. Ice sprayed out, causing Sozai to slip on the surface. He slid forward and rammed into the fountain at a fast speed. A jarr of pain shot up his leg and he screamed out loudly.

"Come on, Sozai!" Mozu cried, rushing to his friend's aid. He grabbed Sozai by the arms and pulled him up. Sozai staggered to his feet and began to hobble forward at a fast speed. People runned pell-mell around them, and they had to be careful to not collide with anyone.

A huge rock crashed some two hundred feet behind them and people heading in that direction screamed and turned around, pushing Mozu and Sozai along with them. They spun around and couldn't gain control of where they were going. By the time Sozai realized what was happening, it was too late.

"They're pushing us out of the caldera!" he yelled to Mozu.

"No!" exclaimed Mozu. "No! That'll just bring us closer to the pirates!"

Sozai nodded as he and Mozu were pushed out of the gates of the Royal Caldera City and down the winding road leading to the harbor town.

"Won't the guards stop us?" Mozu asked to no one in particular.

Sozai looked over the edge of the path and saw dozens upon dozens of firebenders and swordsmen running down the bottom of the volcano, heading into battle. He shook his head and blinked twice. "No, because they are heading into the town. Just like us."

Mozu gulped loudly. "What do we do?"

Sozai shrugged, but he was lying. He knew what he was going to do once they reached the harbor town. The plan had come to him when he had rammed into the fountain. It was nowhere near foolproof, but he hoped desperately that it would work.

"Let's get out of this crowd before we get knocked off of the path!" Mozu said, shoving his way through everyone and beckoning for Sozai to follow. They pushed and shoved to get everyone out of the way, and after a couple minutes, the duo reached the front of the throng of people. Sozai craned his neck and looked over the crowds, and it seemed that hundreds of people had been pushed, and were being pushed, out of the city and down the volcano.

A huge rock soared towards the city, but fell short and hit the side of the mountain. Ice sprayed in all directions and rocks tumbled down, curshing unfortunate citizens. Screams rose from the crowds, loud and obnoxious, but Sozai could understand their fear. Nothing like this had ever happened to the Fire Nation Capital. Never before had they been attacked. Barely any citizens knew what to do, so when people began to panic, it felt instinctive for the others to do the same.

After turning around one more corner, Sozai and Mozu were on the final stretch to get off of the volcano. He could see, down near the town, dozens upon dozens of firebenders were streaming to help fight against the pirates. Pedestrians fled from the city, running in all directions to flee the fighting. Sozai assumed the same would happen once these citizens reached the level ground. They would just stream off in all directions to get away from the fighting.

Sozai sprinted the last slant and continued to run as he reached the green grass, with Mozu right behind him. The prince took a glance back; his assumptions were right. The hundreds of people climbing down the mountain just began to run off in all directions as soon as they touched the ground. Nobody wanted to linger. Sozai turned back around and sprinted as fast as he could.

"Sozai, why are we going _into _the fight!" screamed Mozu.

"Just follow me!" Sozai shouted back.

They reached the soldiers running to the town and weaved their way in and out, dodging between the fighters. Once they escaped the crowd of fiebenders, they had Harbor Town citizens to deal with. The panicking people had no destination and had no regard for anyone but themselves. Not one person even bothered to get out of the way for Sozai and Mozu, much less anyone. He watched as a teenaged girl fell down, only to be trampled by other people running.

Mozu dived to help her up, but was knocked down by other citizens fleeing. Gasping in fright, Sozai knocked people out of his way and pulled his friend up. Mozu, acting quickly, grabbed the girl by her collar and dragged her to her feet. He looked her in the eyes and said, "Get far, far away from here. Stay out of the crowd. Run."

The girl nodded, wide-eyed and thankful, and ran in a direction to get out of the huge throng of people. Sozai grabbed Mozu and they continued to run to the Harbor Town. More and more people streamed out and several times, Sozai caught glimpses of pirates fighting their way through the town.

As a huge flood of people sprinted out of one road and into the trampled, dying grass, Sozai and Mozu burst into the city, only to meet a score of people desperate for the fields and safety beyond. These white-stoned buildings with red tiled roofs were in perfect condition, but farther into the city, buildings were crushed and burning, smoke curling into the air.

A pirate popped out around a corner and laughed loudly. He swung his sword at Sozai, who nimbly dodged it. Sozai quickly sent a blast of fire at the pirate, striking him in the chest. The pirate swung around and topple down, his chest burned. He breathed heavily, a pleading look in his eyes. Mozu grabbed a nearby bucket of water and dumped it on the man's chest, causing it to sizzle and the fire went out.

"Take his stuff," said Sozai. "The swords and knives. You can't firebend, so you'll need some weapons. And, while we're at it, you might as well snatch his coin purse, too."

Mozu nodded and grabbed the sword out of the man's hand, then snatched up another sword and two knives. He cut the small pouch from the man's belt and stuffed it into his pocket, hearing the jingle of coins. Lastly, he rammed the pirate's temple with the butt of the sword hilt, rendering him unconscious.

Sozai grabbed one of the swords and then continued to run, closely followed by Mozu. They darted in and out of alleyways, weaved through people, and skirted around pirates. However, they couldn't evade the invaders forever. It was a nearly impossible feat to achieve.

Ten minutes after they had assaulated that first pirate, Sozai and Mozu rounded a corner, only to find nearly a dozen pirates fighting three firebenders. The firebenders were overwhelmed, and with every time they were attacked, they were pushed further up against the wall. One of them sent a fire slice at a pirate and knocked him down, but other than that, none of their attacks were doing anything.

Sozai's face went distraught as he watched a lithe pirate stab one of the firebenders in the heart. A scream tore out of one of the other firebender's mouth, Sozai could take it no longer, He turned to Mozu. "I have to help," he muttered.

Mozu nodded and drew his cruved blade. The pirates still hadn't noticed them, so they had the element of surprise. Sozai tightly grabbed his sword and closed his eyes. They flashed open and he roared loudly, fire streaming out of his mouth. "Get out of _my _city!" he shouted. Sozai blasted himself into the air by shooting fire out of his feet. He flipped over and sent three quick punches into the pirates. They scattered quickly, but one of them was not so fortunate. The pirate toppled to the ground, his hair on fire.

Sozai, still in the air, screwed up his nose at the scent of burning hair. He began his descent onto the ground, falling right over the pirate he had just disabled. Lightly, Sozai landed next to him and slashed both of his arms, making him nearly useless.

Mozu, meanwhile, snuck behind the group and hacked at a couple of pirates quickly, before they could react. They spun around and two more attacked him. Mozu ducked under a slash with a sword and slid in between the pirate's legs. He spun around and scrambled to his feet, ramming the hilt of his sword into the back of the pirate's head. The muscular figure toppled to the ground, unconscious.

Sozai kicked out at a pirate rushing to him, blasting him backwards with a huge jet of fire. The man stumbled backwards and then toppled against a wall, banging his head hard on the flawless, white stone. Another pirate charged at Sozai, lashing out with a club. Sozai nimbly dodged underneath and spun around behind the pirate, kneeing him in the back. Yelling loudly, the pirate arched his back and dropped his club in pain. Sozai kicked him in the nose, breaking it.

By now, the two other firebenders had regained hope of surviving and charged forward into the battle, sending fire blasts everywhere. Sozai and Mozu kicked, punched, and burned their way through the squabble until the only people standing were them and the two guards. Two guards ran away in fear, screaming loudly, while another hobbled away on a twisted ankle, his hair on fire. Around them were the bodies of dead and unconscious pirates.

"Thank you," said one of the guards. "You saved us."

Sozai nodded and then turned away, sprinting down a road. Mozu followed in his wake. They coninuted their run through the city, and now more and more pirates were being spotted by the duo. The carnage was everywhere. Buildings crushed, dead bodies slumped against the walls and spread eagle on the ground. People screamed and ran past them, while a small number of soldiers and guards worked to defend the city. They rushed to and fro, slicing with their spears and shooting their fire.

As Sozai and Mozu rounded a corner, a loud command startled them and saved their lives. "Spears!" roared a Fire Nation commander, at the head of twenty soldiers. Each one leaned back and snapped forward, throwing deadly looking barbed spears at onrushing pirates.

"Duck!" screamed Mozu, flattening himself and Sozai to the ground. They looked on and saw the first twelve pirates in the group fall to the ground with spears sticking out of their chests. Three more staggered around, spears impaled in their legs or arms. The other seven spears missed entirely. Then, taking on the pirates' surprise, the soldiers ran forward and began hacking their way through the rest of the pirates. Only two made it out of the struggle, and they looked pretty bad.

Sozai stood up and grabbed Mozu's shirt. "Come on," he growled, jogging off in the opposite direction of the battle. Mozu staggered up and followed at a quick pace. As they were walking, Sozai glimpsed the harbor and saw hudreds of boats. He turned that way, but then stopped. The Royal Plaza would be filled with firebenders keeping out the pirates.

And sure enough, it was. Sozai took a right turn and ended up looking out over the long Plaza. Bodies were strewn across the ground, ice covering much of the surface. Smoke and fire rose up in the sky, and still, dozens of figures were fighting for their lives there. However, the Fire Nation soldiers seemed to be losing the battle.

"This is terrible," Mozu muttered. "I wish we could help," he added.

Sozai frowned, his eyebrows creased. "You know how we can help?" he asked, emotion audible in his voice.

Mozu turned to him. "We can't fight them. Two people won't make a difference."

"No, it won't," said Sozai. "But thousands of Earth Kingdom soldiers will." He grabbed Mozu's collar and dragged him away from the awful sight.

"Sozai, we can't leave the city!" he protested.

"We have to get help," Sozai shot back. "Or else everyone will die."

"No!"

Sozai rounded on Mozu, his faces inches from his friend's. Tears of rage and anger glistened in his shiny amber eyes. "Listen, Mozu!" he roared. "I am helping _my _nation, _my _people whether you like it or not! Now are you coming with me or are you going to stay here like a coward?"

Mozu dropped his head and muttered something under his breath, inaudible to Sozai. Sozai groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. "What?" he snapped.

"I. . . I will come with you," he muttered.

Sozai nodded and then said, "Let's go. Hurry!"

The duo took off running down the streets. Citizens still ran from the terror, but most had escaped the town. . . well, at least most of the survivors had fled. Often, Sozai and Mozu had to leap over fallen bodies and dodge around dead soldiers. For every one dead pirate, there were three dead Fire Nation citizens or soldiers.

It pained Sozai to see all this carnage. As they went deeper into the city, the happened more and more upon crushed building and burning roofs until all around them was ruins and destruction. Three minutes ago, they had passed four pirates fighting an old woman, who, ashtonishingly beat them with her purse, but pirates were no running amuck through the streets, with little or no resistance. Thrice, Sozai saw people get cut down by the pirates.

Now, as they ran through the half-crumbled buildings and burning wooden frames, dead bodies were more and more common. Tears sprung to Sozai's eyes when he happened upon two children, under the age of six, holding hands, still and cold in their death. Looks of terror were upon their face and blood was stained across their chest.

His chest heaved in and out and he closed his eyes, furious with rage. He threw back his head and puffed out his chest, roaring loudly. A forty foot column of flames erupted from his mouth, like an angry dragon. Mozu backed against a wall, his face rigid with fear. He had never seen his friend like this, and now he was terrified.

After about ten seconds, Sozai closed his mouth and fell onto his knees. He felt a desire to kill every last pirate. . . but no, he needed to escape and get backup for his town, more people to help. It was their only hope. He looked at Mozu and stood up.

"We need to get out of here, and fast."

Mozu nodded and they jogged away. They rounded a corner and saw a demolished house, rocks and debris everywhere. A couple dead bodies were slumped against the wall of a building across the alley, but there was a girl under the debris, wood covering her hips and her legs.

And she was alive.

Sozai rushed over to her and raised her head. There was blood and her eyes were closed, but her mouth was moving. "Are you okay?" he asked.

The girl's eyelids fluttered open, revealing eyes so amber they were nearly gold. She smiled weakly and attempted to push herself up. The debris on her legs stopped her.

"Mozu, get all the wood and stuff off of her," Sozai ordered.

Mozu immediately went to work throwing off all the wood. The girl opened her eyes wider and looked, grateful, at Sozai. "Thank you," she croaked. "I couldn't get it off myself."

Sozai began to slowly pull her out under the ever shrinking pile of debris. Soon, he pulled her up out of the destroyed home and was supporting her as she stood.

"What's your name?" asked Mozu, looking at her beautiful face.

"Kibozhi," she replied. "My father is a fisherman, a poor one at that. We live here."

"Your father is a fisherman?" exclaimed Sozai. "Can we use his boat? We are trying to get out of the Fire Nation and go get help from the Earth Kingdom."

"But we don't know how to get past the battle in the Royal Plaza, which is the only way to the harbor," said Mozu.

Kibozhi bit her lower lip for several long moments, but then smiled and looked at the duo. "No, it's not," she said. "I know a way to get to the harbor. I use it a lot when I wanted to get out of the city and sit on the beach. _Without _going through the defenses at the Royal Plaza. Now follow me, quickly."

Kibozhi darted away from her houes at a fast speed, Sozai and Mozu following close behind. They took back roads, so they hadn't seen a pirate for some time. Finally, Sozai glimpsed green grass as they passed an alley, but Kibozhi kept them running parallel to the fields for another minute. Then she turned down a wide street, only to find their way blocked by five pirates.

Before the pirates even had a chance to notice the trio, Kibozhi leapt in the air and did a roundhouse kick, sending out a stream of fire. She landed lightly and then punched one of the pirates in the nose. Behind her a pirate was raising his sword, but before Sozai could shout a warning, Kibozhi spun around and hit the pirate in the solar plexus with the back of her hand. While he was doubling over in pain, she kicked him in the jaw. His head snapped backwards and he toppled down, cowering in pain.

Next, she slid under a sword swung at her and jabbed up at the pirates wrist and elbow three times. His arm went limp and the sword flew out of his hand. Sozai kicked it further down the street. Then Kibozhi smacked the man in the face. She leapt over him and kicked him in the backside, right before blasting the fourth pirate in the face with fire. The pirate screamed loudly and sprinted away.

Finally, it was her and the final pirate. His legs were buckling with fear, while a grim smile and a challenging look shone in Kibozhi's eyes. Cautiously, he charged forward and threw his whip at Kibozhi. Amazingly, she grabbed the whip and burned it. She leapt towards the man and punched him in the gut and kicked him behind the knees. The pirate gulped as he hit the ground hard.

The whole fight lasted about ten seconds and it was amazing how well Kibozhi had fought. She had unarmed, knocked out, and disabled five born fighters single handedly. Sozai and Mozu both stood with their mouths open, eyes wide, shoulders slumped in an awed position.

"What are you gawking at?" she snapped. "Come on!" She turned heel and ran quickly out into the fields. Sozai and Mozu followed.

"You're a firebender?" Mozu asked, awestruck.

"What of it?"

"Nothing," he said, flabbergasted. Sozai himself was pretty impressed, even though he was a firebender too.

After about ten minutes, they came to a stop over a huge staircase. Without a thought, they scrambled down the stairs and landed softly on sand when a couple minutes had gone by.

"Where is your boat?" asked Mozu eagerly.

Kibozhi looked around, but it took her a while to reply. "I. . . I think they sunk everyone of our ships!" she exclaimed. "How will we get out?"

Sozai quickly scanned the three or four hundred boats moored on the harbor and his eyes fell upon a small boat that could probably only hold a crew of ten. He pointed at it and said, "We are going to steal that boat from them and take it to the Earth Kingdom."

Kibozhi and Mozu flashed doubtful looks at each other, but Sozai was stubborn and it was their only option. They quickly ran along the wooden harbor docks and then hopped onto the boat. They met no resistance, just barrels of food and water. "Good, it is well supplied," Kibozhi muttered. She nodded at Mozu. "Raise the sail. I'll take the steering oar for now, but once we get further out, I have an idea. Sozai, are you a firebender?"

Sozai nodded.

"Good," she said. "Now, I want you to burn every single boat we pass," she added as she hoisted the anchor up and burned the mooring rope. "Let's get going."

Sozai nodded nervously. His insides were quaking, a mixed of fear, anxiety, and joy. He was escaping his life in the Fire Nation and finally getting out. He should have been happy. . . yet something seemed wrong. Shrugging, he rushed to the port side and began fire blasts of flames at the pirate boats he was passing. They caught quickly, especially the sails. The few pirates who remained on board the ships began to scream and shout in nervousness and tried to put the fires out, but it was too late. They sailed out of the armada and into the open ocean, leaving behind them nearly twenty burning boats.

Twenty minutes later, when they could barely see the shore, Kibozhi handed the steering oar over to Mozu, who had a little experience with boats and approached Sozai. "We're going to sit on the back of the boat and stick our feet in the water. Then we will firebend out of our feet and speed our escape. It works; trust me."

Sozai nodded and then sat about five feet apart. He stuck his toes into the ocean water and felt a sense of cold rush through his body. Yet, it felt. . . free. The water. . . it was free. The air was free. He was free. As he put his hands on the wooden deck, a smile played on his lips. For the first time in his life, he finally felt free.

He channeled his chi through his feet and fire erupted, as with Kibozhi. Just as she said, the boat seemed to speed up and it traced a path through the ocean, heading east to the Earth Kingdom.

Nearly fifteen hours later, the shores of the Earth Kingdom came into view in the dark horizon. Night had fallen many hours ago and now the stars and the moon were the only source of light. But, still the shore was growing closer and Sozai felt a growing sense of anticipation. He was nervous, scared, and excited all at the same time.

There was a loud grinding noise as the boat came ran aground, beached like a panda-whale. Sozai and Kibozhi hopped off, landing softly in the few inches of water. The girl beckoned for Mozu to stay up there and begin to toss down supplies, but not too many to carry.

"What are we going to do with the boat?" asked Sozai.

Kibozhi was silent for a minute, in thought. Then she turned to Sozai with a sincere look on her face. "We might as well burn it," she said. "It'll make sure nobody can steal it and because we probably will not use it again."

Sozai nodded, jumping in fright as two bag full of food hit the sand next to him, followed by three sleeping rolls. Next, a pouch of gold fell down and landed on top of the pile. Mozu jumped off and landed next to the pile, grabbing a bag and a sleeping roll. Sozai and Kibozhi both grabbed the same and Kibozhi took the gold.

"When we reach town, we'll want to buy a tent or something."

The other two nodded and they set off up the beach and climbed the green hill at the back of the beach. They summited it and then looked around, trying to see the dim lights of a town that they could head too. Sozai was peering west when he heard a sharp crack. "What was that?" he asked, head whipping around. He dropped into a defensive stance, but heard no reply from his friends.

Then his breathing was cut short as a huge, gloved hand wrapped around his mouth and pulled him backwards. "Don't think about fighting," a person said, their voice deep and gravelly. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to your friends, would you?"

Sozai's eyes darted frantically around and he saw Kibozhi and Mozu in similar situations. He gulped loudly and saw at least a dozen men scattered around, holding torches and weapons. How had they not seen their captors?

"Round 'em up!" cried the man holding Sozai, who appeared to be the leader. "They're young and fit; they'll make great slaves!"

The others laughed as they threw the trio onto a cart and tied them up tightly, so they couldn't move. Afraid to talk, they all cast nervous glances at each other.

They were not free. They were slaves.

Author's Notes

*In a chapter in the second book, you will find out how the rocks explode and shoot out ice. Yipee!

*The scene where the old woman is beating back pirates with her purse was originally more detailed, but then somehow the author exited out of editing and lost it all, so he didn't feel like writing it again and it became the way it is now.

*The concept of making your boat go faster was stolen from his counsin's fanon

*The author has no idea how long it takes for a boat to cross the Mo Ce Sea.


	6. Bending Freedom

Voice of Akhang

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

The monks would tell me how since the time of the first Avatar, there have been four bending elements, and a nation to go along with each one; The Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads.

But everything changed fifteen years ago, when the Earth Kingdom split and a new element rose. On that fateful night, the sky lit up a great, white color, the color of my eyes at my most powerful. Nobody knew what it was.

I do. I know. A fifth element has come into this world, granted by the spirits. The element's entry has defied the Avatar sequence. Defied the world. But the new element is our only hope, our only way to survive. We must protect him, we must.

I believe Mozukai can save the world.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Wood.

===Bending Freedom===

The horrifying image of smoke curling up from the forest, right over Kimanchi's location still burned fresh in Mozukai's mind. As they flew away on Yangto, Akhang's sky bison, he could see his village burning. He imagined the children running from the flames, the elderly too slow to flee, the soldiers fighting the invaders, and the women searching for their husbands and children. Mozukai felt like a coward, a disloyal person. He felt as if the blood of everyone who died was on his hands.

This all was going through his mind as he was sitting in a floating nest he had created with his bending, about one hundred yards from the camp, where Akhang, Shom, Ishi, and Kori all sat around a fire, while Yangto snoozed. The twin pygmy pumas, Dudom and Gugom, chased each other in circles around the campfire.

Mozukai sighed. It was the fourth day since he had escaped Kimanchi and met his new companions, but he still felt alone, distant. Kori, of course, being the kind soul she was, made an attempt to cheer him up, but it was unsuccessful. Most of the time, Mozukai just sat in the trees while his companions sat around and gathered food. He was depressed about his town, his village. All his friends could be dead. Would he ever see any of them again? All their faces flashed through his mind; Gaidan, Goji, Rida. . . He felt lonely and lost.

Then an idea struck him. Mozukai began to reason that he felt alone was because he didn't know any other woodbenders. Maybe. . . just maybe if he found some more woodbenders, he wouldn't feel as lonely. Quickly, he waved his arms, then raised them high, before dropping them down quickly. The branches around him moved down while untangling themselves before snapping back into position. Mozukai hit the ground running and jogged over to his friends.

"Hey guys," he said.

Shom turned around and smirked at Mozukai. "Finally woke from the dead?"

Mozukai flashed a sarcastic smile at Shom. For some reason, the earthbender really seemed to dislike him, but those reasons were unknown to him. Hopefully some day he would grow more compassionate towards Mozukai.

"What is it, Mozukai?" asked Kori, with her usual friendliness.

"Well, I was wondering. . . " he began. "No, I was thinking. . . Ah, I just wanted to know if you knew where to find any other woodbenders." He smiled brightly and bobbed up and down on his toes eagerly.

Kori and Ishi flashed a quick glance at each other and then Ishi turned to Mozukai. "Ummm, Mozukai?" she asked. "I. . . I've never heard of any woodbenders besides you. Sorry."

Kori nodded in agreement. "Never has word reached my ears of them."

"But there have to be some somewhere in the world!" Mozukai said desperately, his optimism waning. "I can't be the only one."

"Well, that's just it, Mozukai," Ishi said. "You are the sole woodbender as far as any of us know. I've never even heard of woodbending until I met you."

Mozukai dropped his head in sadness, clenching his fists in frustration. "But. . . but. . ."

"We're sorry, Mozukai," continued Ishi. "I don't think there are any others."

"Then I'm alone. I'm truly alone," Mozukai said, his eyes lookin glassy and his voice faltering.

There was an awkward silence that lay there for a few long minutes, but then Akhang stood up and held his staff next to him. "But you aren't alone, Mozukai," he said. "You have us; you have Kori, Ishi, Shom, and me."

Dudom and Gugom sat down next to Akhang, wagging their tales and looking up at the Avatar with pleading looks in their eyes, almost pleading for something. Akhang laughed and patted their heads. "And you have Dudom and Gugom," he chuckled. "Don't forget Yangto."

Mozukai smiled. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm glad I have-" His words were cut short with a high pitched yelp as a rough, slobbery, wet gigantic red monster smothered the front of his body. He toppled to the ground, covered in sky bison saliva.

Akhang, Kori, and Ishi fell to the ground with laughter, and even Shom smiled, but only for a quick and fleeting second. Mozukai pet Yangto on the muzzle and then stood up, walking towards Ishi, who was red with laughter.

"Come here, silly goose-squirrel!" he said, stepping up next to her with wide arms. His sadness faded away for a few moments.

"No, stop!" she screeched as she tried to scramble away. But Mozukai was too quick; he grabbed her around the stomach and pulled her in for a tight embrace.

"Ewyuck!" gagged Ishi, stepping away from Mozukai's slobbery hug. Now a lot of the saliva had rubbed off onto her. She looked up at Mozukai with fake contempt. "You better watch your back!" she threatened, laughing loudly.

Mozukai held his hands up in mock fear. "I'm ''so ''scared of a twelve-year old girl!" he teased.

"I wouldn't put it past Ishi to do something very painful to you," Akhang warned, smiling cheekily.

Ishi crossed her arms and nodded. "I would snap your neck right now, but we might need you later on, so count yourself lucky."

On the inside, Mozukai felt a little worried, actually, but he showed nothing on the outside. He kept smiling and then stuck his tongue out at Ishi. She stuck her tongue out back, and then made a rude gesture with her hands. Then she turned to Kori. "Now, Kori, if you wouldn't mind waterbending all this off of me, please," she said. "Oh, and don't bother yourself with doing it to Mozukai; he'll dry eventually."

Kori smiled and then quickly moved her hands around. The sky bison spit covering Ishi was drawn off her, made into a large ball, and then dropped behind a tree ten feet away from the camp fire. Mozukai stood there, mouth open. "What?" he said. "You won't do that to me?"

Kori shrugged. "Ishi said no," she replied simply. Mozukai glared at Ishi, upset at her decision.

Ishi turned to Mozukai and smirked before thanking Kori. Then she sat back down and leaned against Yangto. Mozukai grumbled a little bit and then sat down nearest to the fire to dry off. Dudom and Gugom came up to him and laid down next to him, both in the same position. Mozukai reached his hands out and pet the two pygmy pumas on the head.

A bush shook some thirty feet behind the campfire. Instinctively, the five companions leapt to their feet, four dropping into their fighting stances, while Ishi drew her first stiletto. They crept foward a little bit and stayed on alert, prepared for anyone to pop out of the undergrowth.

Mozukai drew an arrow and held it in the air, ready to strike, while Kori created a ball of water from her water pouch. Akhang held out his staff and Shom floated several medium sized rocks above his open palm.

And then the bush shook again. Mozukai's eyes narrowed as he prepared for a fight. A third time the bush shook and then a man emerged, dark brown hair with long sideburns that stretched down to his chin, forming a well-trimmed beard. A strange looking instrument was strapped across his back and he carried a small knapsack. A woman who looked about his age came right after him, followed by two more figures; a ten year old boy and a sixteen or seventeen year old girl with a banjo in her hands. She wore a strange hat and her hair fell loosely around her shoulders.

"Who are you?" exclaimed the man, drawing a short dagger and dropping into a weak stance. The woman backed up and stood in front of the two younger travellers.

"I've got a better question. Who are ''you''?" Shom replied.

"I'm. . . I'm a traveller," the man replied.

"Of course you are!" exclaimed Ishi. "You're wandering through the woods. What he meant to say was who are you and where are you from?"

"I'm Saion," said the man. "And this is my family. My wife, Poli. My daughter, Shiun, and my son, Kyan. Kyan is the only earthbender in our family, the only bender in my family for three generations." His family all waved and smiled, Kyan displaying his talent by moving a rock on the ground and purposely bouncing it off of Shiun's head. "We're from a village near Tae Ming, which was quickly conquered by Chao Dao. My life as a bard was destroyed in his evil, iron grip, and for three years, we have been plotting our escape. The soldiers kept our village well guarded. It took lots of planning to flee, but we started off with two others. My best friend and my brother. Unfortunately, five miles from our village, some guards caught up to us and attempted to catch us. My brother, being an experienced fighter, fought back alongside me and my best friend, an earthbender. Poli, Shiun, and Kyan hid, while Kyan fired upon the six guards. Sadly, my brother was killed in the struggle. A week later, my best friend was captured by slavers. I can only hope he is still alive. But he fought to defend my family and I, giving us time to escape. He was, or is, a brave man."

Mozukai, Akhang, Kori, and Ishi exchanged glances and relaxed, but Shom remained in a defensive stance. "I'm sorry for you losses," said Ishi. "But death is inevitable in war."

Akhang nodded. "My name is Akhang, and these are my friends Kori, Ishi, Shom, and Mozukai," he said. "I met up with my friends when I was captured as a slave during my travels away from the Northern Air Temple. Kori, Ishi, and Shom were all other prisoners, but several slavers were disabled when buzzard wasps attacked us. We escaped when the cart tipped over. Mozukai, we met several months after that, just a week ago. He was running from bandits," he concluded.

Saion nodded, sincerely believing his tale. Mozukai, however, knew his friend was lying in an attempt to hide his identity as the Avatar and of the powers that Mozukai held. He thanked him silently.

"Would you like to join us around the fire?" asked Kori.

Saion nodded and he and his family apporached the fire. But before they could sit down, Dudom (or was it Gugom?) leaped out of the shadows and landed in front of Saion, growling. The musician screamed out and jumped up in fright.

Kori frowned. "Now, Dudom, is that a way to treat guests?" she chastised crossly.

Dudom purred pathetically and flattened his ears, backing away low to the ground. He lay down on the ground, covering his face with his paws. Gugom joined him, lying in the same position. Saion smiled nervously and sat down. Ishi grabbed some bread and handed it to the newcomers. They accepted it graciously.

"So, where are you heading?" asked Akhang.

"We were thinking Ba Sing Se, but our way was cut off by a blockade of Chao Dao's forces. We need to find another way to the great city," explained Poli.

"Hmm," said Akhang. "You could always take Serpent's Pass."

The family seemed apalled at the idea. "The Serpent's Pass?" whispered Kyan. "But. . . but ghosts haunt it and kill everyone who goes that way."

Akhang shook his head. "No, they don't. It's safe and I bet Chao Dao's forces don't guard it. It'll be the only way to start a new life in the free part of the Earth Kingdom."

"I guess so," said Saion. "It could be our only ticket out of here."

"Well, how about you play us some music on your. . . instruments," said Ishi eagerly, changing the subject. "What is that you have, Saion?" she added, being her inquisitive self.

"Oh, this is a instrument of my own creation. I call it the Flarp Drum, which is a mix of a flute, a drum, and a harp."

"And I have a regular banjo," Shiun said. "And Kyan plays the flute. My mother isn't too big on music, so she justs listens. Occasionally, she writes the songs."

"Will you play one?" asked Kori. "I'd love to hear it."

"Of course," replied Saion. "Shiun, Kyan, we'll play _Bending Freedom_.''

"Okay," Shiun said. She grabbed her banjo and began to play a low pitched, beautiful chord. Kyan grabbed his flute and blew into it, creating an eerie yet free echoing sound that resonated around the forest. Saion began to tap on the drum of the Flarp Drum, and then blew three, long breaths into the flute. He plucked a couple strings of the harp, and then repeated the pattern.

Then, Shiun began to sing in a soothing, beautiful voice. It was calm, mystical, and unlike anything Mozukai had ever heard.

_It's not like water, or air or fire_

_It cannot be compared to earth_

_Freedom is like its own element_

_A gift given at your birth_

Mozukai frowned. He thought of the people in Kimanchi, fleeing their homes, trying to escape the town with their lives. He should have been there to help. They were not free, yet he was. They would carry the weight of the siege on their shoulders, bear a heavy burden. He breathed in and closed his eyes.

_But yet it is like water, or air or fire_

_It can be compared to earth_

_We bend it along the river'' ''_

_And through the air with mirth_

_It dances like a flame_

_Rumbles like the ground_

_Impossible to tame_

_Yet, it's all around_

Mozukai's eyes fluttered open and he glimpsed everyone swaying slightly to the lull in the lyrics. He blinked again and no longer was he looking at the camp fire. Three figures were climbing up a hill off the coast of an ocean, with a burned boat on the beach behind them. Then, a dozen sillohouttes loomed out of the shadows and grabbed them, throwing them into a cart. He felt despair and loss aching through his body as the carts rolled away from him.

Then he snapped back and Shiun still hadn't started singing. Nobody else seemed to notice his relapse, but it felt very, very real to Mozukai. What had happened, though? Shiun began singing again and he was lost in the music.

_Freedom can be taken away_

_By anyone who dare_

_They think it's okay_

_But they don't know the fare_

_Bending freedom, the fifth element_

_Bending freedom, our life is better with it_

_Bending freedom, the beauty of peace,_

_Bending freedom, calm and smooth_

_Bending freedom_

_Bending freedom_

Shiun held the last note for a long time and then closed her mouth and shut her eyes. Kori, across the fire from Mozukai, wiped away a tear. Ishi smiled, her eyes watering. "That was beautiful," she said.

Akhang smiled. "You are talented. You have a truly beautiful voice."

"I've never heard such talent," Shom said.

Mozukai agreed with all of them, but he couldn't help feeling a bit awkward when freedom was called the fifth element, when he knew what the true fifth element was. Wood was the true fifth element, and he had to keep that hidden. "Who wrote that?" he asked. "It was quite a song."

Poli smiled and dipper her head. "I am the writer."

"It was written very well, flowing smoothly and softly together," Mozukai complimented. "You have great skills for writing."

"Thank you," she said.

Akhang and Saion both yawned simultaneously, stretching their arms high in the air. Saion looked at his family. "We best be getting to sleep. If we're heading to Serpent's Pass, we should rest on up."

"I am pretty beat too," said Akhang.

"Good night!" called Kori and Ishi as the family stood up and moved about twenty yards away, constructing a low wall of rock around their camp. Mozukai grabbed his sleeping roll and spread it out, sliding under the soft covers. He closed his eyes after bading everyone good night, and then fell into a dreamless sleep, ''Bending Freedom ''floating through his mind.

A bird chirping woke Mozukai. He sat up in his sleeping roll and looked around, letting his eyes adjust to his surroundings. Yangto was still snoozing, with Dudom and Gugom running circles around him. Ishi was sharpening her blades on a rock while Shom stood a couple feet away from her, chucking rocks at a nearby tree. Poli was out foraging in the forest for leechi nuts, but Saion and Kyan were both playing their instruments quietly. Shiun sat not too far away, tuning her banjo and singing softly to herself. Lastly, Mozukai's eyes fell on Kori and Akhang passing a ball of water back and forth fifty yards away from the camp, by a stream.

The tree Shom was chucking rocks at was snapping and bending at a bad angle, so Mozukai smiled and waved his hand as the next rock was making its way to hit the trunk. The rock, as big as Mozukai's hand, hit the tree, but it didn't just fall to the ground. It bounced off the trunk and soared back towards Shom. He screamed out and the rock struck him in the stomach. He toppled to the ground and groaned, "How does that even happen?" His voiced squeaked loudly and Ishi rolled over, laughing.

Next, Mozukai drew an arrow and crouched down, stalking over near Akhang and Kori. He quickly threw his arrow and then pushed his hand out. The arrow streaked through the forest and right through the blob of water as it was being passed to Kori. Both Akhang and Kori leapt back in surprise and fear as water splashed onto their clothes. Then they turned to where Mozukai was standing and Kori smiled.

"Really, Mozukai?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Mozukai smiled and stood up, walking over to them. "Hey, it was a good shot," he replied, holding his hands out to his sides.

"Mhmm," said Kori, pursing her lips.

"Well, Kori, I do agree that it was a good shot," Akhang said, looking at his friend.

Kori glared at him and then turned back to Mozukai. "I also have pretty good aim and can make good shots," she said.

Mozukai didn't like where the conversation was going. He backed up a step, his lips out like a fish. Then Kori jumped forward, bent down and then rose up, waving her arms all the while, in one graceful motion. A huge wave rolled up out of the stream and crashed down on Mozukai. He was flattened to the ground as water pushed him down. Once the wave had crashed, he sat up, spitting a fish out of his mouth. He frowned at Kori and then stood up. "I assume you aren't going to dry me off, just like last night?" he speculated.

Kori smiled and tutted real quickly before strolling back to the camp. "We'll continue practice later, Akhang."

She walked back over to the fire, leaving Akhang and Mozukai. The woodbender turned to the Avatar. "You wouldn't mind drying me off, would you?" he asked.

Akhang shrugged and pulled his outstretched hands towards himself. All the water flew off of Mozukai and Akhang quickly began rolling his hands. The water stopped and formed a floating orb. He threw it back into the stream, with a huge splash.

The two of them walked back to the camp and sat down. Mozukai grabbed some bread and his waterskin and ate a quick breakfast. When he was done, Saion and his family walked over to them.

"It's best we depart," said Saion. "Thank you for your hospitatlity."

Akhang bowed. "Hopefully are paths will cross again."

"Goodbye!" said Ishi and Kori simultaneously.

"Bye!" the family called back, walking away.

"Good luck," Mozukai told them. They all nodded and almost dissappeared, when Shom shouted to them.

"If you get to Ba Sing Se, go to the inn called The Twin Pumas and go there from noon to two every week. If we ever have a chance to get to the city, we will meet you there!"

Kyan saluted him. "Count on it!"

Everyone laughed and then the family vanished into the undergrowth. Akhang turned to the rest of the crew.

"So, should we depart soon?"

Everyone nodded and they immediately began to pack. "Where will we go?" asked Mozukai.

Akhang shrugged. "Maybe we could head towards the Northern Air Temple. It's really nice and I could show you around."

Mozukai shrugged and Kori said, "I've never been to an Air Temple before. That'll sure be cool."

For the next ten minutes they spent packing up, everyone was silent. Finally, Mozukai threw his stuff onto Yangto's saddle and pushed Dudom and Gugom up on to the sky bison before clambering up himself and sitting between the two pumas. Shom sat in between Yangto's neck, holding the reins of the bison.

"To-fao, Yangto!" yelled Shom.

The sky bison roared softly and pushed off from the ground, slamming his tail against the dirt. He soared up through the trees and out into open sky.

The sun was sinking down into it's night home when Ishi spotted a town about ten miles away from their position. Kori, who had taken over Shom's position as the steerer, tugged on Yangto's reins. The bison turned to the right an flew on a hill overlooking the town. Bright lights shone from the town, and there seemed to be something going on in the central sqaure of it.

Mozukai was particularly interested in the town, for something seemed light-hearted and fun about it. He wanted to be distracted from Kimanchi. His thoughts were interrupted when Ishi shouted, "A festival is going on!"

Kori replied, "Awesome!" It sounded like she was smiling, but Mozukai couldn't tell because her face was turned away from him.

Soon enough, the group reached the hillock above the town and Yangto alighted (alight is too much of an understatement. It was more of aheavyed, for it seemed that the ground shook when the sky bison landed). Mozukai crawled out of the saddle and landed softly on the ground. Ishi followed eagerly after him.

"Akhang, are we actually going to be able to sleep in beds tonight?" she asked. "I think all that sleeping on the ground has bended my spinal cord," she added, twisting her back.

"Do we have enough coin to rent two rooms in an inn?" asked Shom, hopping down.

Kori, who had just slid off of Yangto's head, screwed up her mouth in thought. "Probably not."

Ishi groaned and fell to the ground, leaning on her elbows. She frowned and didn't pay any heed to Dudom and Gugom when the started licking her face.

"Sorry, Ishi," Akhang muttered. "We just need some more money. We can always sell some meat or trade some goods."

Mozukai nodded. "I'm a great hunter," he said, smiling. "Especially near trees." Then he winked.

Kori giggled and Akhang smiled. Shom remained his usual self, stern and cold towards Mozukai. The woodbender smiled and then crossed his arms. "So, tomorrow, we'll go hunting and then sell our wares in the town. At the moment, we are going into the town to join the festivites!"

Ishi shot up from here prone position and raised her hands in the air. "Par-tay!" she screeched. "Woo-hoo!" She turned away from the others and sprinted off down the hill towards the town. Mozukai and Kori stood there shaking with laughter, while Akhang smacked his face with his hand and shook his head and Shom crossed his arms, rolled his eyes and sighed loudly.

The foursome set off at a walk down the hill, chatting animatedly. Akhang turned to Yangto, who was growling at Dudom and Gugom, and said, "You stay here, buddy. And keep quiet."

Yangto opened his huge mouth and let out a roar that shook Mozukai. Akhang's face grew angry, red as an apple. "I said quiet!" he snapped.

Yangto whimpered, then opened his mouth and let out a soft, quiet roar. Dudom and Gugom came up on either side of the bison and did the same, then lay done quietly.

They found Ishi waiting at the gates to the town, leaning casually against the hardened mud wall. Four guards armed with long halberds stood at attention, casting glances at the newcomers. Akhang and Kori smiled at them and Mozukai waved.

The five kids walked into the city, walking down a dark main street. Ishi made small noises and looked around, her lips parted and her eyes wide.

"Where's the party?" she asked, despondent.

Nobody replied and they just continued walking down the street till it came to a stop, and then turned right. Ishi was the first to round the corner and she squealed in delight when she did. They heard her quiet footsteps pit-patter away down the street.

Curiously, Akhang zoomed around the corner with his airbending and Kori jogged after him. Mozukai and Shom were left alone to continue walking. They went around the corner, and Mozukai stopped in his tracks. A huge smile formed on his face and he stood staring at the spectacle with awe.

Four gigantic pillars sat in the center of a large town square, purple and blue flames flickering on the top of them. Lights and candles hung from ropes and streamed all over the square. People cheered as stone animals moved around because of earthbending and sparks flew out of dragon's mouths.

Jugglers walked around, throwing and juggling ten or twelve items at a time. Waterbenders twirled glowing water with live animals inside around their heads. And above the entire festival was a huge slide made of ice, where people were zooming down into a pool of water.

Mozukai saw Ishi climbing on top of a stone badgermole. Akhang zoomed around on an air scooter, laughing and smiling. Kori began to bend some water out of her water pouch.

Before Mozukai could run over to the slide, a firm hand slapped down on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Shom looking at him. "Don't do anything stupid," he said.

Mozukai nodded. He knew Shom meant for him to not woodbend, because that could be bad for the peopleto find out about his powers. "Gotcha," he said, walking away.

"Mozukai!" screamed Ishi, riding past him on the badgermole. "Come with me to the water slide!"

"That's where I was heading!" he called back.

The girl slipped off of the huge stone creature and walked over to Mozukai. "What is this festival?" she asked.

Mozukai shrugged. "I don't know. It's kind of crazy, when you think about it."

"Yeah," Ishi mused. "But awesome! It's pretty cool. Though, have you seen any airbenders here? I've seen firebenders, earthbenders, and waterbenders, but no airbenders."

"I've seen Akhang," he said in reply.

Ishi laughed. "Not him, you idiot! Other airbenders. It's odd."

"Why don't we ask someone what this place is?"

"Okay."

Mozukai walked up to a man at a game stall. He leaned against the wooden counter and said, "Excuse me, sir, but my sister and I are visiting this town. We'd like to know what this festival is."

The man smiled. "Ah, yes, many people do. This is the San Sakasu festival. Many years ago, one hundred and four to be exact, three friends, Ching, Ba So, and Hokuron were traveling the earth kingdom. Ching was a firebender, Ba So was an earthbender, and Hokuron was a waterbender. They decided to throw a small show here in this town and it was very popular. They came back a year later, this time with more tricks and more people. Soon, it turned into a traveling circus and now it still lives on; its biggest festival always in this village."

Mozukai nodded. "Thank you."

"Of course!" said the game stall owner. "Everybody deserves to have their heads stuffed with knowledge!"

Mozukai laughed and he walked away with Ishi as they headed to the slide. Children ran happily around them, while adults watched shows and drank. Everyone was happy at the merry occasion.

They reached the slide and climbed up the ladder to the top of a roof, where the slide was positioned, where they were met by a line of seven or eight kids. Mozukai and Ishi patiently waited.

"You go first, Ishi," said Mozukai when it came their turn.

Ishi nodded and smiled, plopping down on the slide. She waited fifteen seconds and then pushed herself forward, plummeting over the steep drop at the beginning. Her loud screams of joy grew quieter to Mozukai, before they ended all together.

Mozukai sat down and pushed himself forward, then laid back. He slid forward about two yards, and then all of the sudden the slope turned to a steep drop. He screamed loudly and laughed hard as he plummeted down. It was terrifying, yet exhilarating. The slide leveled out and he rounded a corner on the slick ice, water flowing behind him. He spun around in a corkscrew and then came another steep drop. This one was shorter and didn't last as long, but it was even more fun. At the foot of the drop, the silde curved upwards in the air, like a ramp. He sped down the drop and then flew up off the ramp. . . but didn't stay on the slide. Mozukai opened his eyes and screamed out, in real fear, his arms waving wildly in the air.

With a huge splash, he hit the water. For several seconds, he was under the surface, swimming lightly. He looked around and saw that he was in about twelve feet of water. Then he pushed upwards and broke through the surface, gasping for breath. He blinked twice and then smiled widely. That was some of the most fun he had ever had in his life.

Mozukai swam over to the edge of the pool and then cralwed out. Ishi stood over him and smiled. "That was so much fun!" she said.

Mozukai nodded in agreement and gathered up his friends so they could all go on the slide together. At the end, even Shom had fun. After that, they wandered around together, going down the slide five more times each. Finally, sometime near midnight, after a wonderful display of fireworks, they went up back to their campout and made a small fire. Mozukai, after an hour of sitting around the fire, plopped into his sleeping bag, exhausted but yet his mind was racing with the thoughts of his vision.

== Author's Note ==

*The chapter was first named ''Truly Alone'' but it was changed because it didn't represent the chapter as well.

*The town and festival was pretty much all improv when the author was writing it.

*This town will be back in Chapter 7, with much more action. Hoorah!

*Doesn't that slide sound fun?

*This is his longest chapter yet


	7. Slaves

CHAPTER SIX

OPENING SEQUENCE

'''Voice of Akhang. '''

'''Water. Earth. Fire. Air. '''

'''The monks would tell me how since the time of the first Avatar, there have been four bending elements, and a nation to go along with each one; the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads. '''

'''But everything changed fifteen years ago, when the Earth Kingdom split and a new element rose. On that fateful night, the sky lit up a great white color, the color of my eyes at my most powerful. Nobody knew what it was. '''

'''I do. I know. A fifth element has come into this world, granted by the spirits. The element's entry has defied the Avatar cycle. Defied the world. But the new element is our only hope, our only way to survive. We must protect it. We must. '''

'''I belive Mozukai can save the world. '''

'''Water. Earth. Fire. Air. '''

'''Wood. '''

PRELUDE

The air reeked of damp wood and mold. Sozai's eyes darted around the cart, taking in the surroundings of his location. Several men marched beside the wagon, their booming and yelling to each other. The wheels beneath the bed of the cart screeched and shrieked, a harsh grating sound that made Sozai want to cover his ears, but his hands were bound together. He shifted uncomfortably as the cart bounced along the uneven road, heading towards the lights of a nearby town. He, Mozu, and Kibozhi had been waylaid by a group of gruff warrior type men and thrown into ropes before being tossed into an open cart. The characters of the men that had taken the trio captive made Sozai dread their destination. Occasional squeals came from the two ostrich horses pulling the cart over the hills.

Kibozhi looked, her eyes wide in fear. "Where are we going?" she asked in a hushed voice with trembling lips.

Mozu shrugged and Sozai shook his head. "I think they are taking us to be slaves," he replied.

"Hey, shut up back there!" one of the men barked curtly. The cruel tone of his voice made Sozai wince in fear. "No talking!"

Kibozhi cast a nervous glance at her two friends but didn't respond. Her eyes began to dart frantically back and forth as they dragged on to the nearby town.

Sozai's fear and anger grew steadily larger as they continued on towards the city. His hands were shaking in rage and his lip was trembling, on the verge of screaming in frustration and hopelessness. He had finally gotten a chance to escape his confinement in the Fire Nation, only to be captured by these men for who knows what.

After nearly ten minutes, the cart pulled through the gates underneath a huge wall. The city they arrived at was not in very good condition; many of the buildings had been crushed into ruins, and even the others still standing were in terrible shape. There seemed to be metal contraptions and wooden siege engines everywhere throughout the city. It looked as if it had just gone through a war.

The cart turned to the left and pulled them parallel to the only thing in the city that looked in good shape; a huge pyramid at the center of the town. Sozai blinked, trying to tell what the purpose of the pyramid was. The cart was pulling into increasingly uglier parts of town. Wide-eyed civilians lined the streets, staring at Sozai, Mozu, and Kibozhi as they clunked by; a dog so thin even Sozai's half-closed eyes could count all its ribs, two bodies slumped against the outside of a ruined house, their skin sickly green with flies buzzing around their heads. Sozai shuddered; if they were passing through these living conditions, then where were they heading?

He was answered when they passed through a small field of weeds and tangles towards a wooden wall with at least six towers atop it. A huge metal-bound gate permitted entrance to what lay inside the stockade.

The cart pulled them up to the gate and then stopped. A couple of men called up to the wall and told them to raise the gate. Another two men dragged Sozai, Mozu, and Kibozhi roughly out of the cart, letting them slam into the ground. Sozai grunted at the impact, and then gasped as he was pulled up off the ground.

"You three are walking from here on out," growled one of the men.

Sozai's legs hit the ground and he fell forward into the dirt. One of the men roughly shoved him back to his feet, shoving him to go forward. He stumbled forward but caught his balance and began to slowly walk on weak and tired legs. They walked under the huge metal gate and into the compound behind the walls. Three wooden buildings, which held another gate, rested against a wall. Right in the center were ten small wooden cabins, raised twenty feet of the ground on huge stilts. A ladder led to the verandas surrounding the cabins. The thin wooden stilts creaked and were covered in decaying wood and mold, making Sozai pray that he would not have to stay in one of those. The cabins looked as if they would fall over any moment.

At the left side of the compound was a tiny door that led out of the walls and the city. Sozai looked out over the wall and saw three tall, soot black smokestacks looming just above the walls. He realized with a dreaded whimper that the city was constructing something by the use of slaves. Tears welled in his eyes as he realized what his life was turning into.

"Welcome to your new home," the leader said, smiling wickedly. "We call it the Slave Haven." He laughed out loud at his own joke and then led the three of them to the nearest cabin, where he shoved them up the ladder and followed them. He pushed aside the curtain and beckoned for them to get inside. "You'll find three beds in there," said the man. "Or maybe not." He laughed again and set off down the ladder, Sozai staring daggers at him. Then his eyes drifted off to where one of the men was standing, not twenty yards away. Their eyes met and the man nodded at him. Sozai turned around for a moment, and then looked back at the man. But he was gone. And the others showed no sign of his departure.

Strange, thought Sozai. Very strange. Shrugging, he turned around and walked inside where he met twenty pairs of eyes, aside from Mozu and Kibozhi, staring at him. Kibozhi and Mozu were sitting in in a corner, next to two small straw mattresses and three raggedy, worn blankets.

He walked over there and said, "Mozu and I will share a bed. Kibozhi you can have your own."

Kibozhi nodded her thanks and then covered herself in the thin blanket. Sozai and Mozu curled up onto their small bed, the blanket only half-covering each of them. Sozai shivered in the cold and wished for his comfortable bed back in the Fire Nation.

This was the first of many nights in hell.

SLAVES

The sharp sound of a klaxon horn woke Sozai from his slumber. He sat up in his bed and was immediately greeted by the thousand aches all over his body. He groaned and stretched as the other slaves in the hut began to stir.

The trio had grown accustomed to the twenty or so slaves in Sozai, Mozu, and Kibozhi's shack, and the others had gotten used to them too. However, they relationship barely extended beyond sharp grunts and occasional nods, for they'd grown too tired and weak to waste their energy talking and socializing.

Sozai gave two quick nods, one to Kibozhi and one to Mozu, but regretted it as his neck muscles began to scream in agony. He grimaced and then pushed himself off of the ground. Kibozhi helped him up and then looked deeply into his eyes, the fear visible on her face.

"Sozai, what are we going to do?" Kibozhi asked.

Sozai shrugged. "You keep asking this, and I can't answer, Kibozhi," he said. "We've been here for nearly ten days, and there has been no sign of rescue."

Mozu shut his eyes. "Why did this happen to us?" he said, to no one in particular.

Neither of the other two replied, and when the klaxon horn sounded a minute later, two guards appeared inside the raised hut.

"Get out here now, or no breakfast for you!" one of them roared.

Sozai, Mozu, and Kibozhi shuffled forward, eager to get ahead of the other slaves. Breakfast, as meager as it was, made up a very important part of their day. Sozai and Mozu were used to an endless supply of rich and delicious food. They could eat flaming fire flakes, roast duck, and komodo sausage. Sozai's mouth started to water at the thought of biting into a delicious cone of ice cream. His stomach rumbled, expressing its wants for the wonderful foods. Now, they were constantly feeling sick because of the lack of food, and a few times, Mozu had fainted due to malnutrition. Living on moldy bread, spoiled soup, and horrible, dank water was just about killing the slaves.

The guards hopped down onto the ground and bent earth pillars to catch them in their fall twenty feet below. Then, three more joined and took stances around the ladder to prevent anyone from running away.

Sozai was the first to the ladder and he walked down slowly and shakily, trying to hold on. Mozu followed, with Kibozhi right above him. They gathered together as the rest of the slaves crawled down the ladder. Then the guards formed them all into a single file line and they paraded towards the eating hall.

The eating hall was a small shack against the side of the slave compound, where the spoiled and unused food was used to feed the slaves. Despite how much food they had, the soldiers barely gave the slaves ten percent of it. ''What else would they use it for?'' Sozai always wondered.

Sozai looked around and saw other slaves shuffling towards the food hall, and he hoped he got there first. Twice, he made the mistake of being the last one there and all he had was a moldy piece of bread and a small glass of water.

The lead guard turned his head back and chuckled. "You are in for a real treat today!" he said, in his usual mad tone. "And I'm serious. We have fresh bread and even a bit of soup for you!"

Some of the people mumbled excited words to their neighbors, obviously happy about the change in breakfast.

The guard continued. "But don't expect this every day," he said, with a fierce face. "You won't get it. This is a once in a long time experience, scum! So you should feel lucky!"

Sozai felt relieved when they arrived before the other slave groups. They lined up and then a few slaves that had higher standings in the compound came out, holding small trays with a wooden bowl and a hunk of bread.

A slave handed Sozai a tray and the prince accepted it gratefully. He turned and waited for Mozu and Kibozhi to get theirs, and then they walked in a single file line to the area designated for the slaves to eat, possibly the most comfortable spot in the whole compound...and it was still rather uncomfortable.

His muscles stiff and sore, Sozai lowered himself to the ground and sat cross-legged, pain aching through his body. He groaned in discomfort and stretched his shoulders, but it really didn't help to ease the pain.

"I hate this place," he mumbled under his breath.

"Don't we all?" came the gruff voice of a man.

Sozai spun around to see a tall, muscular man standing there. His hair was dark and his skin was tan, very tan. He had bulging muscles, but they weren't muscles created from physical training, but rather they were built from years of strenuous labor. He was garbed in typical Earth Kingdom clothing but it looked ancient and worn, as if it had been worn every day for years. But with all the hems and sleeves torn and shredded, he looked like quite an imposing figure. That is, until one looked at his face. The skin was worn and soft, much like that of an older-than-middle-aged-man, and his eyes were devoid of any hope or joy, gray-blue pits of emptiness.

"Don't complain about this place, boy," said the man, walking past Sozai and sitting down about six feet away, "because you probably ain't ever getting out of it. I've been here three years, I have."

Kibozhi looked at the man. "What's wrong with having hope?" she asked.

The man leaned forward. "Nothin'," he replied. "But let me just tell you; once you are here longer, there is really no reason to have hope. So keep that in mind, girl."

"There is always a reason to hope!" yelled Kibozhi, throwing her hands in the air. "I have hope, and I will keep holding onto my hope until I escape this place or die trying!"

Sozai looked upon Kibozhi with admiration. The spirit and courage she used when she said this was so high, so amazing, that Sozai wondered how it could possibly have stayed inside her for so long. Her words gave him a little spark of hope and a touch of a smile on his face.

The man looked at his bowl of soup. "Suit yourself," he grumbled, shrugging.

Kibozhi sat down, fuming silently while Sozai and Mozu ate their meager breakfast. The girl grabbed her bread and began to pick at it, but pushed her soup away.

"You two have it," she muttered. "I'm used to little food, anyway."

Gratefully, Sozai and Mozu dove forward and began to spoon the soup into their mouths, satisfying their stomachs the slightest bit more.

The two boys quickly finished the remainders of their breakfast, not a moment too soon, because a second klaxon horn sounded. The guards began to walk towards the slaves. Sozai looked at Mozu and Kibozhi, dread on his face. Slave work was about to begin.

Mozu frowned. "I wish I was in the same station as you," he groaned.

"I do too, Mozu," Kibozhi said, "but our work is for benders."

Mozu looked at Kibozhi. "I know!" he snapped, a little too harsh and hasty.

Kibozhi flinched, taken aback, but Mozu stepped forward. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

Kibozhi dipped her head and then waved her hand at Mozu, grabbing Sozai's arm and pulling him towards the other benders. Sozai smiled half-heartedly. "See you tonight, Mozu," he muttered before turning around.

Mozu raised his hand and then walked away, towards the larger group of slaves. Several guards were beginning to give out orders to the consensus gathered there.

Sozai and Kibozhi were among fifty or sixty benders out of a population of nearly two hundred slaves. Guards surrounded them, ready to act at a moment's notice. A tall man in green armor, with a well-groomed black beard and a well-muscled body stepped forward.

"Slaves," he addressed roughly, "now is the time for you to begin your labor. You'll be divided and sent to different locations around the city to work. All firebenders will be escorted to the forges. Earthbenders, some of you will go to the forges, and the rest to various other locations around Shinu. All the nonbenders are out gathering wood and building siege engines for the forces of Chao Dao, the supreme ruler!"

Chao Dao? Who was Chao Dao? Sozai flashed a confused glance at Kibozhi, who shared the same expression. But several other slaves muttered curse words under their breath, and one even said, "Damn Chao Dao."

The lead soldier snapped his head in that direction. "Who said that?" he spat.

No one responded, but the slave made no reaction, nor did he try to act casual. Several slaves around him stepped away, and the lead soldier pointed at him. "Bring him to the block!"

Three guards rushed forward and barreled their way through the other slaves. The man made no move to resist as they heaved him to the ground and dragged him away. He kept a stoic face as he bumped over the rough ground, sliding to the far side of the compound.

Many of the slaves stepped back in fear of being dragged away themselves, but no moves were made against them, except for looks of contempt and hatred. Sozai flinched at the cruelty towards the slave, even though the man had asked for it.

The head man cleared his throat. "Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, you will be distributed out to your various...works places in just a few moments." He said the last words with a malicious grin.

There was a silence and then he continued. "Firebenders, move over here. Now!" he demanded, waving his arms towards a spot to his right.

Sozai and Kibozhi shuffled along over to the designated area with the ten other firebenders this city had somehow managed to obtain. The man yelled out more demands and the earthbenders split up into several groups and moved away.

Six guards surrounded the firebenders and began to shove them forward. "If any of you make a move to run, you'll have us six and hundreds of other earthbenders to mess with. So don't try, unless you have a death wish."

The other guards snickered at their comrade's joke, but all the slaves were shaking on the inside as they marched towards the wooden stockades of the slave compound. The gates opened, allowing the group to pass through, heading towards the metal buildings just up the road, where the weapons of the army were forged, and the place where all firebenders were to work.

They walked up a dirt road and a few citizens of Shinu poked their heads around corners to look at them. A couple children ran by, staring at the slaves with wide, nervous eyes. These people were just as oppressed as the slaves, Sozai quickly realized. The hungry, tired looks in their eyes made him want to cringe as they dug into his soul. It was frightening, sad.

The trudged up to the forges and then stopped in front of the huge metal doors. It was still a shock to Sozai at how quickly they could build such a massive, sturdy structure. He was guessing that these forces had only occupied Shinu for about three years, based on other slaves. At least he thought so.

With a loud, grating sound, the huge metal doors of the forces opened as two guards stepped away. A heat wave hit Sozai as he stepped over the threshold; it felt like walking into a furnace. The clang of metal on metal echoed around the medium sized chamber they had stepped into, in which racks of metal materials and old, broken weapons hung on above forging tables. Newly forged weapons hung on the walls to cool off. Several muscular men worked furiously to get their work done. At one end of the room was a large oven, and not to far down from that was corridor which led to other forge rooms. Sozai knew he would soon be sent to one of the forges to heat the ovens for the blacksmiths.

The guards muttered something and then pushed the slaves into a single file line, shunting them along the side of the room towards the corridor. The smiths glanced at them a couple of times, but they obviously weren't too interested. Clearly, they'd seen this happen countless times, so it was nothing new to the smiths.

As they stepped into the separate corridor, the air immediately got cooler, but Sozai knew it was only a matter of time before he stepped into the sweltering over-rooms, where he would keep the fires roaring for a long period of time. He rolled his eyes in dreaded anticipation.

The pair of guards roughly opened the first door and shoved four firebenders inside. "You know what to do!" one snapped. "And if you delay the progress, you know what will happen to you!"

With looks of resent, the firebenders walked into the chamber and the door slammed shut, metal on metal echoing through the hallway. The small group moved on and group after group was distributed to the various furnaces, until only four slaves were left at one door.

The head guard looked at Sozai, Kibozhi, and the other two benders. "Get on in there!" he shouted, opening the door. Reluctantly, they all shuffled inside and the door slammed behind them. Sweat began to bead on Sozai's forehead in the sweltering heat, and he felt weak and sick.

But luckily he was with Kibozhi. Every day, he was terrified of them being separated and something bad happening to her. Ever since he had first met the girl from the slums of the Fire Nation Capital, he had found her an intelligent, beautiful, and likable girl, and he cared for her more than he realized.

"Let's go, Sozai," said Kibozhi, quickly tying her hair in a croc-pony-tail. "I'll take the coal first."

Sozai snapped out of his reverie and shook his head. He scratched the back of his neck and muttered, "Sorry." He walked up to the left oven and took a bent his knees, firmly planted on the ground. Kibozhi stepped beside him and dumped a shovel-load of coal into the furnace, smothering the few sparks that were still sitting there. He breathed out loudly, flames shooting from his nostrils. The other two firebenders in the room watched in awe as he began his routine. Sozai stuck his left arm out and pulled his right arm back, drawing an invisible bow. Then, after nearly a second's pause, reeled forward and blasted his fist through the air. Flames shot out and immediately ignited the black coals in the oven's belly. He repeated the process until a raging fire was crackling.

"I'll take the bellows," murmured Sozai, stepping over to where the pumpers protruded from the furnace. He grabbed the two handles and began to pump them. The work was very taxing, and it didn't help that he was already weak and feeling sick from undernourishment.

Hours passed as he worked at the bellows, pumping them to keep the fire going. Every five minutes Kibozhi would shovel more coals into the fire and then send an inferno from her hand to ignite the charcoal. It was very tiring work, and after the fourth hour, Sozai felt as if he were going to faint.

"Let's switch," Kibozhi said, the fear all-to-noticeable in her quavering voice. "You look terrible!"

The other two slaves in the room were staring at Sozai. He glared up at them. ''You don't look much better! Stop staring at me!'' he snapped in his head as he took a position in front of the roaring flames.

He grabbed the huge shovel and pushed it into the box of sooty coal behind him and scooped up dozens of the rocks. Sozai turned around and shoved the shovel into the fire, flipped it over, and watched the coals drop into the orange and yellow tongues. He then repeated the action he had done so many hours ago to ignite the fire and spiraling flames shot from his hands and straight into the fire.

Kibozhi gave the bellows three strong pumps and soon the fire was as big as it had been the entire day. Sozai relaxed for a little bit, but then soon had to repeat the action of dumping the coals in and then firebending into the furnace.

When five hours had passed, the doors to the furnace room slid open and two guards walked in. All four of the people in the room stopped what they were doing and looked towards the earthbenders. One stepped into the room, his hands behind his back, and then looked with disdain at each of the slaves. "You are all still alive," he said coolly. "Hmmm. . ."

His companion stepped past him and glared towards Sozai. "Break time," he snapped. "Hurry up, or I won't let any of you out of here!"

Sozai staggered out of the room first and pushed past the guards, exhausted. He leaned against the wall and almost fell to the ground, but Kibozhi supported him. "Sozai, are you okay?"

Sozai gulped and then nodded. "Fine," he murmured faintly. "I'm fine." But he really wasn't. His insides were boiling in the intense heat and claws were tearing his stomach to shreds, painfully awaiting food.

Kibozhi nodded, but didn't seem so convinced as the guards shoved them along the hallway and out through a back door.

The cool spring air felt amazing on Sozai and gave him renewed strength and energy. The other firebenders were already sitting on the ground, haggard and weak from the intense work they had just been going through.

Sozai and Kibozhi sauntered over to a corner, their shoulders drooping in exhaustion. After a minute of sitting in silence, a guard brought over two moldy hunks of bread and a piece of cheese to each of them. "Eat up," he ordered in a gruff tone, but there was no cruelty in the words, at least none that Sozai could notice.

The duo lunged at the food and tore into it with inhumane ferocity. Sozai was so hungry it hurt to eat the food, because his stomach had gone so long without a good meal. The guard, still lingering near them, glanced once in either direction and then threw a small loaf of bread and a dropped a bowl of rice onto the ground in front of the ravenous slaves. Kibozhi glanced up at the guard, who turned his head abruptly and strode away, striking out at a random slave as he went. The girl turned her head and looked at Sozai with shock and confusion etched upon her face.

"Don't think about it, Kibozhi," Sozai muttered as he groped for the food. "He just wanted to help us."

"But still. . . " she murmured. "Why?"

"Who cares? The bread and rice are both warm, and our stomachs will only be fuller because of his generosity."

Kibozhi nodded and gratefully accepted when Sozai handed her a chunk of bread. She scooped some rice into her hand and shoved it into her mouth. A few minutes later, all the rice and most of the bread was gone, and the two of them felt decently full for the first time in weeks.

The remnants of the bread were hidden in Sozai's tunic; he was saving them for Mozu. He knew his friend would already be jealous that he missed out on extra food, so the two agreed to leave some for him. After all, they were all in this hell-hole together, so they couldn't abandon one another.

Another quick five minutes passed and the guards led everyone back into their furnaces. Sozai and Kibozhi set off to work again. The two people in the same room as them were not looking too good; they were white, shaky, and sweating buckets. Occasionally, Sozai or Kibozhi would step in and help them briefly. The guard and extra food had given them extra faith and more energy, for they knew someone was looking out for them, but why, they did not know.

Minutes passed like hours and Sozai's arms burned in agony. He'd been pumping the bellows and shoveling coal for his furnace and shoveling coal for their neighbors, too. It was grueling work and he was growing weaker with every shovel. Kibozhi, too, was exhausted.

Finally, the klaxon from the slave compound was heard briefly and quietly in the forges and Sozai dropped the shovel he was holding. He collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving in and out as he took great big gulps of air.

"Sozai, get up," said Kibozhi. "We don't want the guards to get mad."

The firebender pushed himself up off of the ground and leaned against the wall for support. Subsequently, the door was thrown open and door guards stepped in. "Lucky you," one grumbled. "You're getting out early tonight."

The four slaves trudged out of the room and joined the other benders in a silent procession out of the sweltering hot forges. Sozai gave a sigh of delight when he stepped into the cool night air. Stars shone above the exhausted slaves as they crawled back to the compound about three minutes away.

As soon as the gates shut behind the benders, Sozai weakly lifted his head and scoured the compound for Mozu, but to no avail. There were simply too many people around. The slaves were grouped into a cluster near the huts, while dozens of guards ran about, shouting orders here and there.

"What's going on?" Sozai asked to no one in particular, however, he saw several others around him shrug.

A deafening boom shuddered across the land. Every head in the compound turned to the epicenter of the noise, only to see a plume of smoke rising in the darkening sky.

"Man the battlements!" somebody screeched. "Get the slaves inside!"

The slaves, befuddled, looked about in confusion as soldiers started to usher them, roughly, to their appropriate stilt-houses. A loud scream rent the air, followed by several others. Even the guards faltered as their attention drifted to the west. Chaos reigned in the compound. Hundreds of guards sprinted around like confused ants in the middle of major tumult.

Sozai, Mozu, and Kibozhi were shoved into their house and the curtains were throw shut. Three guards remained outside the entrance and ordered the slaves to get to bed.

"What's going on?" Sozai whispered to Mozu.

He shrugged. "Don't worry about it," he muttered. "Get to sleep, or they might punish you."

Sozai sighed and the three friends crawled into their two beds. The shouts of soldiers and pounds of earth rang throughout the city, but finally Sozai managed to fall asleep. He knew he had to or the next day would be even harder than the one today.

His sleep was troubled with dreams of terrible monsters attacking his home. Sozai was barely getting any rest, and he knew he'd be in trouble tomorrow. Finally, he managed to block out the dreams and rest.

Sozai was again woken by the harsh klaxon horn, jolting him out of bed and leaving his heart pounding. The aches returned to his body and he moaned. Kibozhi and Mozu also seemed equally uncomfortable.

He heard Mozu's stomach growl. Then Sozai's own stomach rumbled.

"We didn't have dinner last night," Mozu sighed. "That's why we are so hungry."

Kibozhi nodded. "I can't believe I forgot that. That won't help for the rest of today."

Sozai nodded his head in agreement and then staggered out of the hut. The two guards were still posted outside the entrance. They had dark circles under their eyes and looked ready to fall asleep on their feet. They glanced at Sozai and scowled before weakly jumping down and catching themselves on earth pillars. A few other guards joined and positioned themselves around the ladder. Standard protocol.

Sozai, Kibozhi, and Mozu were the first ones down the ladder. It had come to be a blessing to sleep right by the door, even if it meant they had no real bed. Their position allowed them to be the first ones out of the hut and the first ones in their housing to get breakfast.

As the other slaves joined them on the ground, the trio was shunted forward to allow more space. The guards surrounded the slaves and walked them towards the food hut. About forty other slaves were already there, which caused Sozai to frown in disappointment.

Nasty, gunky slop was thrown into a bowl that was then handed to Sozai. A wooden spoon was thrust into it and then somebody extended some bread towards Sozai, but it was hardly more than a few crumbs.

The smell of the slop hit him like a rock in the head and he almost gagged in disgust. Afraid of asking what exactly was in it, he trudged over to the eating area and sat cross-legged on the floor. Mozu and Kibozhi quickly joined him.

"What. . . is this?" Mozu asked, grabbing a spoonful of it. He lifted it out of the bowl, but the gunk refused to budge from the spoon and a whole pillar of the stuff stretched up. Mozu's face turned into one of extreme disgust and he looked away, gagging.

Kibozhi and Sozai both chuckled. Kibozhi bravely guided her spoon into her mouth and took a tentative lick of the slop. She smacked her lips together and then raised in eyebrow. "You know, if you ignore the taste, it's not that bad," she stated.

Shocked expressions hit Sozai and Mozu's faces, but they too started to eat some of the breakfast. After all, it was the only thing they had to eat. The prince stuck some of the glop in his mouth and, with some difficulty, swallowed it. The taste was horrendous, but one bite had already filled his stomach, in a good way.

It took them several more minutes to swallow the gunk, which they then washed down with the bread and a few sips of dank water. They waited patiently for a few minutes and then the commander called them over. He was standing on a tall wooden platform, his hands folded behind his back. Dark eyes stared out over the compound.

"You are going to be doing something different today," he muttered sternly, looking over the crowd of slaves. "Well, at least the benders are. Some of you lucky nonbenders will get to do this, too."

Curious murmurs arose from the slaves as they began to chatter among themselves.

"SILENCE!" the commander of the slaves bellowed, fuming. "Were you instructed to talk? No, you weren't. So shut up!"

The slaves obeyed without question, forcing their mouths closed.

"Anyway, the forges were. . .uh. . . put out of use in an unfortunate incident last night. Until they can be fixed, the benders will be working on the wheels underneath the construction house. More detail will be added later." He paused for a moment, observing the slaves with narrowed eyes. "However, we will need some nonbenders to help with this, due to the shortage of benders. You will be divided randomly."

The benders gathered together by the base of the platform on which the commander spoke. Sozai and Kibozhi stood a little apart from the group, both silently hoping that Mozu would be selected to go the wheels.

Guards hurried about, ordering slaves here and there. All the benders were separated from the other slaves and a large chunk of nonbenders were shoved along with the benders.

Sozai craned his neck to see if Mozu was part of this group, and sure enough, he was. Mozu wormed his way towards Kibozhi and Sozai and smiled weakly. "Thank goodness I'm with you guys," he said. "I couldn't take another day of being with that supervisor. He was evil."

"I'm glad you're with us too," Kibozhi returned. "We've barely seen you at all since we got here. It's been awful."

"Silence!" barked a soldier, standing at the head of the slaves. "We'll be heading off to the wheels now. Don't even try to run for it."

More and more soldiers surrounded the group and they began to walk slowly forward, out of the compound. Twelve guards stood atop the wall and allowed them to leave, but as soon as the last soldier had stepped through the, the heavy iron doors slammed shut.

"It's like the compound is about to be invaded," muttered Mozu, looking back at the wall. "Why?"

"It probably has to do with the commotion last night," Sozai suggested. "That's the only thing that makes sense."

Mozu nodded and breathed in deeply. A moment later, he keeled over and coughed, black powder shooting from his mouth and nose. He wheezed and spluttered, gasping for fresh air.

"Mozu!" Kibozhi screeched, stooping down next to him. "He breathed in some smoke," she explained to Sozai. "He needs water!"

Sozai turned around in panic, looking for somewhere to get water. But the soldiers didn't care at all about Mozu. They would be no help. In just a few moments, they would be beating all three of the friends for holding up the group. Scanning the ground for a puddle, he noticed a soldier staring at him.

"Hey, you, why aren't you moving?" he inquired cruelly.

Sozai gulped, but decided it was best if he told the truth. "My friend inhaled smoke and needs water!"

The soldier snorted. "Get out of the way," he growled, nudging through other slaves. "Where's your friend?"

Shocked, it took Sozai a moment to respond. He did not think that this soldier would help Mozu. "H-He's over here," he stammered.

When the soldier saw Mozu, he kneeled next to him and took out his waterskin. "Open your mouth," he ordered.

Mozu coughed and titled his head back. Carefully, the kind soldier poured some water down Mozu's mouth. The slave coughed once more and then shook his head.

"All better," he croaked. "Thank you."

With a terse grunt, the soldier stood up and looked at Sozai. Sozai gave a nod of thanks and then returned the look His eyes widened as he suspicion hit him. Something was strange about this man.

It was the same soldier who had given him extra food the other day.

The construction house was a massive building made of smooth white stone. Metal chimneys had recently been built on top and a large hole was blasted in one side. A wooden skeleton of a large room leaned against the wall.

Inside the construction building was a single massive room. Crumbled walls were scattered about. Sozai could tell that these people had destroyed all the walls of the building and expanded the ground floor into one large room.

People rushed about, screaming and shouting to each other. Others banged nails with hammers, forcing pieces of wood together. In the center of the room were four huge cylinders. Long black fabric atop flat metal surfaces ran around them and then continued split off form the cylinders and snaked across the room.

"That's what the wheels do," observed Kibozhi. "They make the belts move to transport good across the room."

Sozai and Mozu nodded as they were led across the floor towards a grand staircase at the back of the building. Workers rushed up and down those stairs, carrying supplies and messages.

"This way," said the head guard, opening a door at the side of the staircase. They filed into a narrow dimly lit hallway that began to slope downward.

With every step, the slaves went deeper and deeper. Sozai's ears popped and he began to feel the pressure of the thousands of tons of rock above his head. Finally, they opened up into a large cavern. Several large, horizontal wheels stood with giant pillars reaching high up through the roof, while a few holes in the wall stood off to the left.

The lead soldier stopped in front of the slaves and began to speak. "Welcome to the wheels. Today, you will push the wheels to move the conveyor belt in the work room. Every ten minutes, the firebenders will go to those holes and firebend into them, bringing fire up to the furnaces in the working room. Got it?" he concluded.

Every slave nodded a few times but stood still, unsure whether or not to move towards the wheels.

"THEN GET TO WORK!" screamed the soldier.

The weak slaves shuffled forward and each one took a position at one of the pegs sticking out of the wheels. Sozai, Mozu, and Kibozhi got to the first one and picked pegs that were all right next to each other. With a crack of a whip, they were ordered to start pushing and Sozai obliged.

Pushing the wheels was hard and grueling work. It was a nice respite whenever Sozai had to go shoot fire into the furnaces. Cooperating with the other slaves to push it well was also difficult. Several fell at different times, holding up the wheel and getting severely whipped.

Sweat was pouring down Sozai's face and his muscles burned with agony. The woman just in front of him was pushing weakly and stumbling with each step. Finally, the slave's muscles gave up and she collapsed, her arms hanging limply over the peg. The guards nearby jumped up and rushed over to her, ordering the others to stop pushing the wheel.

Sozai gave a sigh of relief as he stopped pushing and began to rub his legs, loosening the tension underneath his skin. He looked back and saw Mozu doing the same thing, while Kibozhi was stretching with graceful flexibility.

A few minutes passed and then the guard shouted for the wheel to continue. Another guard joined him and they picked up the woman. Her eyes fell onto Sozai's and he saw that they were wide open, glazed over, and showed no signs of life.

She was dead.

The shock was a big blow to Sozai. He The woman had died working as a slave. No slaves or guards would care, and her family would never know where or how she died. With frightened eyes, he watched as her body was tossed into a corner then ignored by the guards. His stomach flipped at the brutality and a wave of nausea crashed over him.

He worked harder from then on, trying to drive the memory out of his head. However, it still lingered in the back of his mind and a hatred for those soldiers grew stronger and stronger with each step.

Finally, they stopped for lunch and the trio slumped against the wall, breathing heavily and sweating buckets. A bucket of water was passed around to everyone and each person was given a moldy hunk of bread.

"We need to get out of here," whispered Mozu, looking around in fear of being overheard. "We need to escape."

"How, Mozu?" asked Kibozhi. "How? There are hundreds of soldiers in this city. We wouldn't make it to the gates."

Mozu shrugged. "If we look, we'll find some way to get out. Or maybe we'll be rescued."

"By who?" Sozai retorted. "Our families? They probably thought we died in the invasion."

Sighing, Mozu rested his head against the wall and breathed out loudly. A soldier walked over, his back stiff and his hands folded in his robes. He looked around and then dropped three small pieces of bread in front of Sozai. A fresh scent wafted over to him and he reached out and picked them up.

Looking up to give silent thanks, he saw the guard had already joined the rest of his fellows back in one corner of the room. The rolls were warm and soft in Sozai's hands.

"Kibozhi, Mozu," he said, "take one."

His two friends turned to each other and they both grabbed a roll and quickly ate them. Footsteps sounded near them and Sozai looked up to see the head guard stomping over to him.

"You three!" he roared. "Where did you get those?" His fingers were pointed at the half-eaten rolls in their hands.

Sozai, shaking and nervous, looked from the rolls to the man looming over him. His eyes were wide with fear and he knew from experience that a vicious beating would ensue.

"Answer me before I make you spit it out!"

A guard strode up to them, his face bewildered and his hands patting his pockets. "Sir, listen to me. I had some rolls in my pocket for snacking throughout the day, and I guess a few fell out," he explained. "These poor urchins here probably were so hungry that they said nothing and just started to eat." He flashed a sympathetic glance at Sozai, Mozu, and Kibozhi.

The man growled and narrowed his eyes. "Well, don't let it happen again!" he barked, turning away from the others.

Sozai's eyes met his savior's and he dipped his head in thanks. The guard's eyes flashed with warm but brief kindness and then he turned and strode away briskly, his arms folded behind his back.

A few minutes passed and then they were ordered back to work. The day dragged on and on with no way to tell the time, for his body had started deceiving him long, long ago, but he couldn't get the guard out of his mind. That was the third no fourth time he had helped them in two days.

Finally, when Sozai felt as if he were about to collapse, the guards halted them and gathered the slaves up. Some soldiers had to heave a few slaves that were on the verge of collapsing along behind them. The body of the woman was left lying in the corner, her eyes still wide open.

Torches mounted on the walls led the slaves up the winding, uneven trail. As they rose, the air grew cooler and fresher and the noise of the work house became louder and louder. The group emerged into the massive work room and shuffled along the edges, trying to stay out of the way of the few workers that were still left.

"Excited to leave?" asked the head guard as he stood right in front of the massive doors that led out of the building.

There was no response and the doors opened. Cool night air washed over Sozai and he breathed in, relishing the feeling after so long in a stuffy cave. Stars shone in the sky and Sozai could tell they'd worked much later than the previous day.

In a organized column, the soldiers led the slaves back towards the compound. Sozai's whole body ached and he was itching to get back in bed and fall asleep for a few hours before returning to hell the next day.

The noisy gates to the slave compound opened up and they were filed in before divided and sent to their appropriate houses. Every slave had trouble climbing up the ladder, but luckily they made it to their beds with no incident. Two guards followed them and stationed themselves just outside the thin curtain.

Sozai and Mozu crawled onto their straw mattress while Kibozhi settled onto hers. Although his muscles were agonizing and nearly kept him up every night, Sozai still managed to fall asleep quickly and without a dream.

He was woken by someone shaking him. ''It can't be day yet,'' he thought to himself, groaning in the thought of beginning to labor in the forges again.

But when he opened his eyes and expected to see Kibozhi or Mozu standing above him, he saw the face of the guard who had given them the bread that day.

"Come with me," he whispered urgently.

Sozai, blinking and confused, crawled out of bed and looked around. Two more guards were stirring everyone in the rickety building. Mozu and Kibozhi were huddled over by the entrance, watching everything with wide eyes.

He walked over to them and whispered, "What's going on?"

They both shrugged. "That man just woke us up and told us to come with him," Kibozhi replied. "I think they are taking us somewhere."

The three guards walked next to each other and stood at the front of the room, looking at the gathered slaves.

"Listen," muttered the one who had woken Sozai, "when we tell you to run, run. As fast as you can and don't stop or look back, no matter who has fallen behind you."

Everyone nodded, even though they were dreadfully confused. Beckoning the slaves to follow, the three guards disappeared behind the curtain. Sozai, Mozu, and Kibozhi were the first to leave.

The moon wasn't even at its highest point yet, meaning Sozai hadn't slept very long. Kibozhi gasped and gave a gurgled cry, pointing at the ground. Sozai looked at his feet and saw two bodies. . . the bodies of the guards who had been stationed outside the hut.

''These men are either coming to kill us or rescue us,'' he said to himself, hoping Mozu or Kibozhi didn't hear him.

Taking his chances, he climbed down the ladder and waited beside the ladder as the other slaves filed down. The three guards, or whatever they were, came down last and looked around warily.

"Follow," the lead one whispered quietly. "And make as little noise as possible."

The slaves now understood that they were possibly being saved and energy flooded into them. Nimbly, every one of them began stepping quietly and watching for guards as if they were burglars robbing a jewel store.

Two tall soldiers on patrol appeared from behind a pile of wood and stopped dead in front of the escaping slaves. They frowned and looked at the three men at the head of the group.

"Where are you taking these slaves?" one asked.

"Uh... the commander ordered us to bring them to him," one of the men replied quickly, obviously not prepared for a situation like this.

"The commander is sleeping right now!" the other guard spat, taking a bending stance. "You're stealing them!" He pulled an ivory horn out of his robes and blew into it before an arrow struck him in the throat. But it was too late. Guards were stirring and flooding out of their stations.

"RUN!" screamed the head man, the fear clear in his voice.

The slaves took off sprinting while the three men waited for all of them to start running before throwing up a wall of rock behind them. The guards chasing them circumvented the wall and began hurling rocks and other projectiles at the fleeing slaves. Others ran out of housing units for guards and began charging at them from the front. Sozai's heart pounded in fear as he sprinted across the battle scene, hoping he, Mozu, and Kibozhi would live to see the next day.

A few slaves screamed in fear, but the head man swerved around an oncoming group of soldiers while the other two kicked a few boulders at them. However, it wasn't enough. There were at least fifty guards heading directly towards them, while even more streamed behind them.

There was a loud cry, followed by a sharp whistling sound. Sozai looked up and saw dozens of arrows falling from the sky and raining down upon the guards charging at the group of slaves. Another volley of arrows flew down and guards collapsed everywhere.

Not all of them died. A dozen of the earthbenders sprinted towards the group and threw rocks into the crowd. Two slaves behind Sozai fell, crushed by a stone, while one near the front of the group was killed by an earth shard.

One of the men helping the slaves turned around and began hurling pebbles towards the oncoming soldiers. After knocking out a few, he turned tail and shot off to catch up with the others. There were simply too many soldiers and Sozai began to fear that he would die here.

Another cry split the chaotic night and more arrows rained down upon the guards. The man leading the fleeing slaves turned in the direction of where they came from and screamed, "Warriors, get out here!"

Thirty men roared as one as they popped out from behind some crates on top of a roof. They jumped down and charged forward, running nimbly around the bodies their arrows felled.

With the thirty warriors running towards the slaves and nearly one hundred guards sprinting after them, the slaves were sandwiched in the middle of the battle. The warriors crashed down upon them and weaved through and around them, while the guards sprinted right through them. Four older slaves were plowed down while two sisters got in the way of some spears.

Watching others die made the slaves run even faster, but it was hard to get through when the warriors slammed into the guards. The brave, outnumbered men swung fists and staffs, knocking guards out with one hit. Some bended earth and one or two even used firebending.

Sozai sprinted through the chaos, keeping Mozu and Kibozhi close by and in sight of him. He could not bear to lose them and not be able to help save them. Horrifying thoughts raced through his mind at the image of them being crushed by rocks or impaled by spears. He shuddered and looked around to make sure they were okay.

The ground shook as the battle raged on and more and more warriors fell. But for every one that died, three guards fell too. The slaves ran through the tumult, trying to avoid being hindered or caught at all costs.

A slave just to the right of Sozai was grabbed by a guard, thrown to the ground, and then trampled by the other fleeing slaves. One near Kibozhi was stabbed by a soldier trying to capture the slave.

The gate to the compound was just ahead and it was wide open as all the guards had left to join the battle. A massive boulder was thrown by three soldiers into the group of slaves. Someone shouted a warning and every slave near where the stone was to hit tried to scatter. However, two weren't fast enough and were flattened by the colossal rock.

The ground shook at the impact and Kibozhi stumbled behind Sozai, collapsing to the ground.

"Kibozhi!" he screamed, spinning around, images of her dying racing through his mind.

By then only eight or so slaves were left in the group. The man leading them to freedom turned around. "Leave her!" he screamed. "Or else you'll never get out!"

Sozai ignored him. Mozu stopped too and ran to help his friend. Together, they dragged Kibozhi up off the ground. "Come on!" Mozu screeched. "We have to get out!"

Kibozhi's ankle was twisted, which slowed the trio down considerably as they ran to catch up with the rest of the slaves. They watched in fear as a small group of guards attacked the slaves, killing two of them. But the three men guarding the slaves easily fought back the guards. After just a few moments, only one was alive, staggering away with several broken bones.

More guards were streaming towards the slaves, ready to stop them from getting to the gate. Sozai turned around and saw several soldiers rushing towards them. Summoning all the strength he had, he punched both fists forward and blasted fire out of his hands. The first two guards collapsed on the ground, their whole fronts singed and burning while the others staggered away, parts of their bodies on fire.

Right as the slaves reached the gate, Sozai, Mozu, and Kibozhi caught up to them. They passed under the wall and the men threw up a very thick wall of earth, blocking the gate from the soldiers.

"Come on," the lead man whispered. He turned into a dark alley and led the group through a maze of twisting, crumbling streets. Sozai glanced back and saw the wall of the compound hundreds of feet away.

Just when he thought they would get away with no fighting, he saw over a dozen bodies slinking along the walls and roofs of the houses.

"Soldiers!" he hissed.

The lead man spun around and chuckled. "Relax, boy," he said. "They are just the warriors."

His cheeks flushed red in embarrassment as the warriors came out of the shadows. Not a single one had escaped unscathed. They were covered in bumps, bruises, blood, and scratches. Dirt was matted onto their skin and their hair was messy, torn, and askew.

"We lost nineteen, Hanra," one of the warriors said.

Hanra, who was the leader of the group, sighed and hung his head. "Nineteen very good men," he muttered. "We suffered heavy tolls this night."

The warriors mumbled and nodded their agreement.

Hanra looked back up. "But at least we haven't lost anymore. And let's get moving before those scum get a chance to dwindle us down some more."

Sozai was shocked. Nineteen men had died just the make sure a few worthless slaves could get out of slavery. He felt sick and as if their deaths had been his entire fault.

"Down here," said Hanra, standing right next to a moldy crate. He planted his feet in the ground and threw his hands down. The earth next to the crate vanished, replaced by a deep hole. "Just jump. There's water at the bottom and it's not a very far jump."

Sozai stepped forward and looked down the hole. Sure enough, there was dark water sifting at the bottom of the pit. Hesitantly, he slid off the edge and dropped down.

He hit with a loud splash. The water was ice cold, yet very refreshing. He reached his feet down and his toes barely brushed the bottom. With a few strokes, he reached the edge of the pool and pulled himself out. A new splash sounded and he saw Mozu's head surface.

One by one, the soldiers and slaves dropped into the water and crawled out until Hanra closed the pit and stepped to the front of the group. For a moment, the whole group was suspended in darkness. Sozai couldn't even see his hand in front of his face.

Faint rumbles echoed throughout the space and then the light of a torch shone. A space had opened up in the wall. Soft light from torches showed a long staircase heading deep underground.

Everyone filed in and Hanra led them down the stairs. It took them five minutes to reach the bottom until they were in a dark, empty corridor. Hanra took a left and took the group down the hall until he reached a large iron door.

With a loud squeak, the door opened and Sozai stepped into a large cavern bustling with people hurrying to and fro. Hanra stepped beside him and looked out at the cavern. "Welcome to the Shinu Resistance."

"You mean you have gathered hundreds of people down here beneath the city and are opposing the occupation of Shinu?" Kibozhi inquired curiously as Hanra led the three slaves through the secret base. The other slaves that had made it out of the compound had been led off with someone else and now the trio was getting led around by Hanra.

"Yes," answered Hanra. "It has been around for nearly a year. Are you hungry?"

Sozai, Mozu, and Kibozhi all nodded earnestly. Hanra chuckled. "That was a dumb question for me to ask. Of course you are. Don't worry; you'll get fed soon enough."

They walked a little bit farther until they exited the cavern and entered a well-lit hallway. A man walked by and Hanra stuck his hand out, stopping him.

"Would you mind taking these three newlings to the mess hall?" he asked kindly.

The man nodded once, his eyes darting around the trio and drinking them in.

"After they have eaten, show them around the base and then take them to the guest quarter. Thank you."

Without another word, Hanra strode away, deeper into the base. Sozai turned and looked at the man who was supposed to tour them around. He had mostly gray hair and a thin beard. His face was kind but filled with sadness and trouble. Pale, windblown skin stretched across his face, slightly wrinkling.

"Hello," he muttered kindly. "My name... is Gaidan."


	8. A New Glider

A NEW GLIDER

"Can we go now?" Ishi begged. "It's boring just sitting here in the camp!"

Mozukai and his friends were sprawled out across their small campsite. Kori was hovering an orb of water while Shom spun some pebbles above his hands. Ishi was slumped against a tree, her cheek resting on her hand. Mozukai and Akhang were lying against the soft fur of Yangto.

"Patience, Ishi!" her older brother snapped at her. "For once!"

Kori dropped the water orb and cuffed Shom over the head. "No need to be rude," she scolded playfully.

Shom rolled his eyes and then rubbed the back of his head where Kori had hit him. Mozukai and Akhang leaned against Yangto, grinning as they watched the three squabble.

"It's always entertaining watching them fight," Mozukai chuckled.

"I don't find it entertaining," countered Akhang, "I find it beautiful. When they do it, they act like such as family. It, in my opinion, is actually peaceful fighting, because by doing so they grow closer together," he finished, a huge beam on his face.

Mozukai looked at him with a curious expression on his face. "Akhang, as anyone ever told you that you're rather odd?"

Akhang laughed. "Fifteen times, by the same person," he replied. However, his jovial mood quickly turned melancholy. "Ah, I miss Yasa. . . "

"Who's Yasa?" Mozukai asked, curious to learn about Akhang's childhood.

"Sister Yasa was one of my best friends, and she is the greatest airbender in the world. That's why she came to the Northern Air Temple to teach me airbending when I was announced as the Avatar at age thirteen. We'd met many times before, but we really grew close during those few years I spent with her. She was so lively and kind, but she wasn't like a mother. Instead, she was like the sister I never had."

Mozukai nodded, thinking of Gaidan. He missed the old man. A lot. It had been several weeks since he had last seen his guardian. "She seems like a very nice person," he muttered. "I hope to meet her someday."

Akhang shot himself six feet in the air, spinning around. "You can!" he exclaimed. "I traveled back to Air Temple to get Shom, Kori, and Ishi all gliders. And you can get one, too! We can go back to the Northern Air Temple and get you a glider. I'll get to see my friends again, and you'll get to meet Yasa! It's perfect!"

"What is that, Akhang?" Shom asked, as he walked towards the pair of them. Kori and Ishi soon followed.

Akhang swung himself towards Shom. "I was talking about how we can take a trip to the Northern Air Temple to get Mozukai a glider, and so he can meet Sister Yasa!"

Kori shrugged with uncertainty. "I don't know, Akhang. It's pretty out of our way."

"Sounds like fun!" Ishi exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "And you know I love having fun!"

Mozukai, Ishi, and Akhang all laughed, but Shom and Kori remained serious. Shom crossed his arms. "Akhang, going to the Northern Air Temple ''is'' out of our way," he said.

"How?" retorted Akhang. "We're wandering aimlessly through the Earth Kingdom, so how would going to my home be 'out of the way'?"

"But. . . well. . . however. . . Ah-you're right," Shom replied, hanging his head with a loud sigh.

Akhang leapt twelve feet in the air with a boost from his airbending and floated down slowly. "Fantastic!" he said when he had touched the ground. "When shall we depart?"

"Well, we should probably restock on our supplies, first," Kori said with resolution. "And maybe treat ourselves to some lunch down in the town?" she further suggested.

"Sounds great!" declared Ishi. "Let's go!" She jumped up and down, excited to go down to the town for some lunch.

The five of them gathered a little bit of money and headed off in the direction of the village. Dudom, Gugom, and Yangto patiently sat at the crest of the hill, watching their masters meander towards the festival town.

Mozukai strode a bit ahead of his new friends into the town, passing under the gate before them. The streets were now bustling with people and everyone still seemed pretty happy and lively from the festival the previous evening.

"Well, where are we going to eat?" Shom asked, a sour tone in his voice.

Everyone else shrugged in unison. "How should we know, dweeb?" Ishi retorted. "What, do we look like tour guides to you?"

Mozukai, Kori, and Akhang all chuckled while Shom's face grew red with frustration. Shom then crossed his arms and looked away from Ishi, trying to hide his embarrassment. The others just stood around awkwardly, wondering where some decent places for food might lie.

"Excuse me," a deep voice of stranger muttered behind them.

Mozukai turned around and saw a tall man in gleaming armor standing straight up, a long spear in his right hand. A thick, black mustache curled from his helm and extended in front of his cheeks.

"You are clogging up the road," he said gruffly to them, his mustache twitching. "People are trying to get through."

"Sorry, sir," replied Kori. "We are just looking for a place to eat."

"Mhm," the guard grunted as he turned away and walked back to the gate.

Ishi rolled his eyes. "Great help he was," she murmured.

Akhang shrugged. "Let's go find someone else to ask," he suggested, bouncing away.

Mozukai and the others followed the happy Avatar through the people moving through the streets. They kept looking for a man or woman to ask where some restaurants were, but nobody paid them any attention or walked slow enough to answer a question.

They meandered further and further into the town, finally deciding to just find a place by themselves. Mozukai walked through the streets, looking around at the buildings. ''This is so different from Kimanchi, yet so similar'' he thought. A choked gurgle rose in his throat at the thought of his old village. Was it still there? Were the citizens even alive? Luckily, the noise of the other's chatter drowned out his sob. Mozukai didn't want anyone to take pity on him.

"Hey, what about here?" Ishi's cheerful voice broke him out of his reverie as she stopped in front of a nice little building just down the street from a side gate. The sign read ''The Turkey and the Duck''.

"Let's check it out," said Kori. With a smile on her face, she walked up the stairs and took a few steps across the porch. She stopped in front of the door and turned around. "You guys coming?"

Akhang nodded and Mozukai, Shom, Ishi, and the Avatar joined their waterbending friend and strode into The Turkey and the Duck. Smooth stone sat under their feet as they walked towards a table. It was a nice little restaurant. Seven or eight tables were spread out across the room. A small bar stood against one wall, with five stools and a couple extra chairs shoved in the corner.

A couple sat at a small table in the corner, while two burly men stood leaning against the bar. Two pretty, young girls sat a few stools away from the men. The bartender was a short and pudgy man with short hair and a thick beard. Lastly, situated in the farthest corner was a man slumped against the wall, a dark orange and yellow robe covering his body while a hood shadowed his face.

"Strange," muttered Akhang, looking at the figure in the corner. "Those are Air Nomad robes."

"What would a Nomad be doing here?" Shom inquired with curious skepticism.

The Avatar shrugged indifferently. "Maybe a mission from one of the other temples."

The group seated themselves at a table. The man behind the bar looked up at them and smiled. "Jojo, we have more customers."

A plump, young woman came out from behind the bar, her cheeks rosy and a smile on her face. Jojo deftly wove through the tables and stood just next to Shom's chair, looking cheerfully at the five friends.

"Welcome to The Turkey and the Duck," she greeted warmly. "Today, we will be serving the usual turkey duck poultry slow roasted over a fire. Our special is elephant koi stew with chili powder on top. A mango salad will come on the side of either dish, and a mango juice comes with every meal."

"Five elephant koi stew," Mozukai ordered, "for all of us."

"Make that four," Akhang said, looking at Jojo. "Instead could I please have some noodle soup, if you have it?"

"Great," answered Jojo with a nod, walking back behind the bar and into the kitchen.

Mozukai, stunned, flashed Akhang a glare. The Avatar looked back at him, "Air Nomads are vegetarian," he explained.

"Oh," Mozukai replied, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment. "I didn't know."

"Most people don't," he said. "There's always an awkward moment when something like this happens, especially when it is a meal at home, not out at a restaurant."

Ishi chuckled. "I remember my first night with Akhang, I tossed him a piece of pork. It landed on his chest and he screamed, scrambling away from the pork. It was hilarious." She laughed again and patted Akhang on the shoulder while he blushed.

Mozukai and Kori both smiled, but Shom made no response to the story. His eyes were narrowed and focused on the two men standing at the bar, talking quietly to themselves. Shom's fingers tapped the table in a monotone fashion.

He leaned into the table, his eyes still on the men. Mozukai raised one eyebrow. "Is it just me, or do those two men look suspicious?" asked Shom.

"It's just you," Ishi answered without even glancing at the men.

Kori followed Shom's gaze and stared at the men for a few long moments. "I don't know," she answered. "There's something off about them."

Right when she stopped talking, the two men straightened up and walked over to the girls sitting at the bar, drinking some sort of juice. They sat down on either side of them and began to speak with them. The girls shifted uncomfortably, unsure what to do.

Shom growled and clenched his fists. His knuckles cracked loudly as he watched the two men harass the girls. Mozukai also watched with a distasteful look as the man on the left rolled back his sleeve and flexed his muscles at one of the girls.

His eyes fell on a tattoo resting on the side of the man's upper arm. There was a red circle surrounding the emblems of each nation. It was a strange tattoo, something that only the Avatar would seem fit to wear.

A quiet gasp came from Akhang sitting next to Mozukai. "What?" asked Mozukai, a bit startled.

"I...I know that tattoo," he whispered quietly. With a little more force and volume, he said, "Guys, I think we should go."

"Why?" asked Ishi, eagerly waiting for her food.

One of the men threw his arm around the girl he was next to and leaned his face in. The girl frowned and grabbed his arm, throwing it off of her shoulder. She muttered something to him and narrowed her eyes. But the man wasn't done yet. He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around so she would face him. The man wrapped his arms around her and pulled the girl in.

"Hey, get off her!" snapped the bartender, lightly shoving the man.

"Don't touch me," he growled back.

Shom slammed his fists on the table and stood up. Akhang, his eyes wide, placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't," he muttered through clenched teeth. "We need to go. Now."

The Air Nomad in the corner shot up from his chair, took three large steps and appeared next to the men and the girls. "You heard the barman," he growled. "Get off her."

The girl had her face buried in her shoulder, quivering and shaking under the man's arms. Her friend was staring, open-mouthed, at her as the man with her had his hands on her shoulder.

"Listen," the man replied, standing up, "this is none of your business. So go back to your corner and mind yourself."

The Air Nomad frowned and turned around, taking a few steps toward his corner. With a quick pivot, he spun around and thrust his arms forward. There was a loud whoosh and the man was thrown backwards. He crashed into a table, smashing it to the ground. He groaned loudly and began to pull himself back up.

One scream came from the couple in the corner. The man's partner yelled out and stepped away from the girl he was with. With a loud stomp, a slab of the stone floor came up and hovered above his hands. Grunting loudly, he heaved the rock towards the Air Nomad. One of the girls screamed and covered her eyes, and the airbender flinched, but stood his ground.

"Ahhh!" yelled Akhang. He jumped forward and threw his arms out. The slab stopped just in front of the nomad's face, floating in the air. Akhang began swirling his arms and the rock moved away. It fell into the corner with a loud thud.

The Air Nomad stumbled backwards and his hood fell down. He looked back at Akhang and his eyes widened. Akhang met his stare and groaned loudly. "Toshi," he muttered.

"Akhang," Toshi muttered back.

The man who had been attacked by Toshi pulled himself up and threw his hands out. A whip of fire sliced towards Akhang.

"Watch out!" screamed Kori. Moving quickly and gracefully, she streamed a bent ball of water onto the fire. The flames disappeared as steam rose up in the air.

"Get down!" Mozukai shouted. He grabbed the table, flipped it on it's side and pulled Kori and Ishi right next to him. Ishi curled up behind the wood, taking up as little space as possible. Akhang dived over the table and landed next to Mozukai while Shom slid up next to them.

Mozukai shot up over the table and shot a wooden dart at the earthbender. The man nimbly dodged it and fired a wave of pebbles back at Mozukai. He ducked and morphed the wood of a chair together, making a shield.

Shom rolled out from around the table and hurled a large rock at the firebender. He attempted to sidestep it, but the tail end of the rock smashed into his thigh and he screamed out in pain.

Kori pulled another watery orb from her pouch and carefully looked over the table. She flicked out a water whip and aimed for the earthbender. It smacked him on the shoulder and he growled in annoyance. Mozukai grabbed one of his arrows and fired it forward. The earthbender shot up a rock wall and the arrow bounced off it with a loud scratch.

The door behind the bar opened and Jojo stepped out, carrying a tray laden with food. A burst of fire flew right past her head, aiming for the table. She screamed and threw up her hands. The bowls of elephant koi soup flew up in the air and landed on the floor, shattering into pieces while the thick stew flowed across the stone.

"Move!" Mozukai shouted. He rolled away from the table right as the fire ball exploded it into burning fragments. Through the smoke and shrapnel, he saw that all his friends and Toshi had gotten away safely.

The couple took the quick distraction and sprinted out of The Turk and the Duck, screaming and shouting as they ran. The two girls hopped out of their stools and slid down behind the bar. Jojo had already run back into the kitchen, while the barman watched with a mixture of anger and fear.

Mozukai jumped up and grabbed another table. He quickly threw it onto its side and yelled for his friends to join him. Then, working fast, he strengthened the wood and thickened it by adding several chairs to the front. Sweat poured down his head as he attempted to make the wood as fireproof as possible.

Akhang and Toshi both sent gusts of winds flying at the two men while Shom and Kori pelleted them with ice and rocks. Ishi sat against the table. She clearly felt useless as she had forgotten her weapons back at the camp.

A large rock came flying at the table, but the extra fortifications prevented it from causing too much damage. Shom returned the attack with a large rock shield sent flying at them. Kori followed up with a water bullet towards the firebender.

The firebender sent an arc of fire towards Mozukai and his friends. It sliced through the air and struck the table. The makeshift fort was thrown up in the air, but it otherwise did no damage. With a loud thud, it landed on the ground and began to sway back and forth. Mozukai quickly grabbed onto it, steadying the table so it wouldn't fall.

"These guys are good," Kori grunted to Mozukai. "Very good."

Then it hit Mozukai. These two men ''were'' very good. Almost too good. They were up against five talented benders and still couldn't lose. Mozukai narrowed his eyes, realizing that they might not be able to win the fight.

He peeked over the table and watched as three large slabs of rock were fired at the firebender. With extreme dexterity, the man dodged all three slabs and fired a large ball of flames at Shom. He ducked and Kori quickly quenched the fire burning on a nearby table.

More attacks from both sides followed and Mozukai knew that while he and his friends were tiring, the two enemies were not tiring as fast. Toshi rolled out from behind the table and kneeled, ready to fire a blast of air at the firebender.

The earthbender saw Toshi out of the corner of his eye and stomped on the ground. The ground shook and a column of earth shot up right under Toshi. He was flung backwards and thrown against the wall. He slammed right through the wood and flew out of the restaurant in a cloud of dust and smoke.

[[File:Destroying a |thumb|left|300px|He slammed right through the wood and flew out of the restaurant in a cloud of dust and smoke.]]

An idea flickered in Mozukai's mind, one that would surely end the fight. He turned towards Shom and shouted, "Put up an earth wall around us!"

Shom looked at him skeptically. "What? Why?"

"Just do it!" the woodbender screamed back at him.

Shom obliged and quickly formed a wall of earth around him, Mozukai, Ishi, Kori, and Akhang. Satisfied, Mozukai closed his eyes and breathed in deeply a few times. Then he slowly raised his hands right in front of his chest. Wood crackled in his ears as he clenched his fists, preparing to make his move.

Mozukai shot his hands outward and the walls and roof of the shop exploded, wood flying outwards at extremely high speed. Ishi screamed and Kori covered her head with her hands. The two benders staggered backwards, startled and confused. Just a split second after thrusting out his hands, Mozukai snapped them back in and clapped his hands together. The debris and fragments of the wood stopped in midair and then zoomed straight back at the remainder of the shop.

Wood slammed at the earth wall from all sides and splinters and debris tumbled over the wall. Large pieces of timber flew around them, smashing into the ground. Mozukai peeked up and saw a huge beam from the ceiling ram into the earthbender. The firebender screeched and ducked as a sharp plank of wood nearly took off his head. A cloud of splinters pelted the firebender and he fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

Dust swirled around the battle scene and Mozukai coughed as he inhaled some of the air. Akhang stood up and gently blew the dust away with a light gust of wind. Mozukai pushed himself off the ground next to him and surveyed the area. Piles of wood and fragments of tables and chairs were scattered about the stone ground. The bar was half-destroyed and the bartender was sheltering the two girls in his arms. The girls whimpered and shivered in fear.

Mozukai found the unconscious bodies of the two men slumped together, half-buried under wood. A large crowd of people were gathered at where the front of The Turkey and the Duck had once been. Two columns of guards were jogging down the street towards the battle zone.

"We better get going," Shom murmured.

Akhang shook his head. "No. We have to say and tell them what happened."

"Shom's right," said Kori. "Look at what happened here. No matter what we say, all of us are going to be arrested. Mozukai destroyed this building, even if he saved three innocent lives." She flashed him a sympathetic glance.

"Well, let me go get Toshi," Akhang grunted. "We can't just leave him here."

Shom rolled his eyes. "Be quick about it."

The Avatar sped off and Mozukai hopped over the earthen wall. Calmly, he strode over to the barman and the girls who were just starting to stand up. The barman was looking around in shock, tears watering in his eyes.

"My shop," he cried. "My shop! Oh my shop!" He breathed unevenly as tears began to trickle down his cheeks.

The two girls looked over at Mozukai as he approached. "Thank you," one said. "You helped save us."

Mozukai nodded in reply and then placed his hand on the barman's shoulder. "Sir, I am very sorry for destroying your restaurant, but I had to do it to end the fight."

The barman looked at him blankly, the words barely registering to him. Mozukai patted him on the back. "It's not much, but at least I can help you start anew." He pulled a pouch of coins off of his belt and set it in front of the man. He muttered something too quietly for Mozukai to hear but then grasped the bag in his hands.

"Mozukai, come on!" Kori's nervous cry came from behind him. His friends were standing in a clump, Akhang holding Toshi in his arms. The guards were getting closer and ordering for them to stop.

The group clustered together and weaved through the crowd as the guards jogged towards them. His heart racing, Mozukai kept glancing back to make sure no guards were right behind them.

Shom ran in the front, clearing a path for the rest of the group to follow. Akhang trailed right behind him, carrying the unconscious body of Toshi over his shoulder. Mozukai was impressed by the small airbender's strength and the ability to run fast while carrying a full grown man. ''It must be his airbending,'' he thought to himself with a shrug.

The group rounded a corner and saw the side gate of the town standing right ahead, a few ignorant guards leaning against the wall. Fanning out, Mozukai, Shom, and the others zoomed past the gate and sprinted towards their campsite. In just a few minutes, they reached where Dudom, Gugom, and Yangto were resting in the warm sun.

Shom boosted himself onto Yangto's neck with an earth pillar and grabbed hold of the reins. "Come on!" he shouted.

Akhang leaped onto Yangto's back and rolled Toshi out onto the saddle. Mozukai quickly swung up over the sky bison's side while Ishi, Kori, and the two pumas used the tail as the ramp. Mozukai leaned against the sleeping bags tied to the side of the saddle, panting and gulping nervously. He was anxious to take off to evade capture, because he did not have time to be arrested.

"To-fao!" screeched Shom, flicking the reins.

Yangto grumbled as he took off from the ground. Shom urged him straight forward and the sky bison flew the group over the town. Mozukai looked over the edge of the saddle and saw several of the guards look up in shock and awe with relieved amusement.

Ishi leaned over the saddle and waved down at the guards a few hundred feet below. "Suckers!" she cried, sticking her tongue out at them.

Mozukai laughed and grabbed onto the side of the giant saddle as Yangto banked sharply. The sky bison quickly soared over the hills surrounding the town and in just a few moments, the town was out of sight.

"Yangto, head home!" Akhang gleefully said to his sky bison, twisting the long fur in his hand.

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An hour later, the hills of the town were just on the horizon and flat grasslands were flying by underneath. Mozukai had seen a few small farm towns, but nothing else interesting was down there to look at, unless one found gazing at flocks of livestock interesting, but Mozukai sure didn't.

"Toshi's waking up!" announced Akhang, sitting up.

Mozukai eagerly scooted closer to the Air Nomad. He wanted to hear the story of how he had wound up in the town they were in.

A groan was the first noise the airbender made. He threw his hand on his head and blinked a few times. "Where am I?" he croaked.

"We're over the Earth Kingdom, flying on Yangto," Akhang replied quickly.

"My head hurts so much," groaned Toshi, wincing in pain.

"Here, drink this." Kori pulled her water pouch over to her hip and pulled out a small orb of water. She moved her hands around it for a second before nodding. "It's really cold water, so it might alleviate some of your headache pain."

Toshi opened his mouth and Kori skillfully put the ball of water into it. He closed his mouth and then swallowed before yelping. "That's cold!"

"I told ya," Kori said, shrugging.

"Well, it did help. Kinda," muttered Toshi, his muscles still shivering.

"So, Toshi, what were you doing in that town?" inquired Ishi.

"I was being punished," he answered simply.

For a few, long drawn-out moments, there was a silence until Akhang sharply said, "Elaborate, please."

"My bad," grunted Toshi, though Mozukai could tell he wasn't actually sorry. "As I said, I was being punished. After a, uh..., accident at the temple, the elders decided that I needed to be punished for my behavior. So they flew me down to this part of the Earth Kingdom to think about what I did and that in two months they would come back to pick me up. Oh yeah, and I had to help some farm town for two weeks."

"How long had you been down there?" asked Mozukai.

"Six weeks."

"Had you helped the farm town?" he continued with an incredulous look.

Toshi shook his head. Ishi, Kori, and Mozukai laughed, but Akhang put on a stoic face. "The elders won't be happy, Toshi."

"I still had two weeks!" Toshi retorted.

"Not about that," clarified Akhang. "They'll be mad that you got into a fight."

Toshi bent his head and scratched it. "Yeah, that probably wasn't the best idea."

"Of course not!" Akhang exclaimed. "You know how the elders feel about physical confrontation!"

"I don't care about what the elders think about fighting," replied Toshi, glaring at Akhang.

Mozukai got the feeling that Akhang and Toshi didn't get along with Akhang still lived at the Air Temple.

Toshi continued. "I shouldn't have started a fight with those two men. It wasn't a smart idea."

"And why is that?" asked Akhang, crossing his arms.

"Because they were part of the Four Fusion Furies," Toshi mumbled after a short pause.

Right as Akhang was saying, "Are you serious!?", Mozukai asked, "The who?"

"The Four Fusion Furies," muttered Kori, holding her face in her hands. "A terrorist group."

"Are you stupid, Toshi?" said Akhang fiercely. "Do you realize how much trouble you've put the Northern Air Temple in? The Four Fusion Furies won't take this lightly. At all."

"A terrorist group!" exclaimed Mozukai. "And we attacked them?"

Toshi nodded slowly. "The group consists of one hundred and four people, twenty-six benders from each nation. They are all extremely powerful benders, and the top four are the most feared people in the world. The two we fought were some of the newest and freshest recruits. That's the only reason we won."

"So now an extreme terrorist group is gonna be after us?" Mozukai inquired, still taking it all in.

Akhang glared at Toshi while the older nomad nodded. "We have to warn the elders. We can't let them catch us off guard," stated Toshi.

"And Toshi forgot to say that the Furies are growing," the Avatar said. "They only take in four benders at a time, one from each nation, but it's happening. I'm sure that they'll have four others by the time we meet them again."

"I thought Air Nomads were peaceful," said Mozukai, tilting his head to one side. "How did they become a part of this group?"

"We are," answered Akhang, "that is, until one of the elders from the Southern Air Temple tried to kill two other elders. He had a whole group of airbenders who supported his cause throughout the four temples. I know that twelve of them fled with him when he vanished and joined the then Three Fusion Furies. But there are still others who support him. Over the past few years, we've had them trickle out and find him. At least, we assume they found him, because the FFF is growing."

"That's not good," said Mozukai. "I can't believe I'd never even heard of them."

"That's probably because Kimanchi was a bit...isolated," commented Ishi. "But I'd heard of Kimanchi ''and'' the Four Fusion Furies."

"How'd you hear of Kimanchi?" Mozukai asked.

"Oh, our town had some tales of a town in the trees," replied Ishi. "There was also a traveler that had seen it, too, so I decided it was true."

"Great story, Ishi, but we need to focus on the Air Temple," Akhang said, breathing heavily. "I have this awful feeling that the Four Fusion Furies will try to seek revenge upon us Air Nomads."

"The Four Fusion Furies indeed are a vengeful type," agreed Toshi.

"Shom, speed Yangto up!" Akhang yelled to Shom who was still sitting at the reins of the sky bison.

"To-fao!" he yelled.

Yangto grunted and flapped his tail once. He zoomed up and Mozukai had to grip onto the saddle to keep from falling off during the speed transition. The wind whipped his face and blew his brown hair out of his eyes. He shut his eyes to keep them from drying out in the strong wind.

The sun was setting to the left of Yangto and Mozukai was starting to feel tired from the long day and his muscles were sore from the battle.

"Guys, I'm going to try and sleep," he muttered, lying down at the back of the saddle and using a sleeping bag as a pillow. He quickly drifted off into a deep slumber.

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Thick fog on his face woke Mozukai. He sat up, stretched out his arms and yawned, blinking the sleep away. Sunlight streamed through the fog, making the horizon glow a golden color. Tall, craggy mountains glew in the sun, so immense and large that Mozukai could hardly they were real.

Shom was sleeping at the front of the saddle, with Akhang slumped against Yangto's neck, the reins held loosely in his hands. Toshi was sitting cross-legged, twidling his thumbs, while Ishi was holding her arm off the side of Yangto. Kori was swirling three small orbs of water in her hand.

"Good morning, Mozukai," the waterbender greeted, letting the water orbs dissolve into the fog.

"Morning," he replied, yawning.

Yangto did a steep bank and Mozukai was tossed to the side. Luckily, the saddle rim caught his and he crawled back up to a sitting position. The sky bison curved around a mountain. Mozukai felt as if he could just reach out and touch the massive rock structure.

"We're here!" exclaimed Akhang, sitting up in his seat.

The fog began to part and Yangto shot through a cloud out into open air. Mozukai craned his neck and looked out across an empty expanse of clouds.

A tall, thin mountain sat just a few thousand feet ahead. Dozens of towers stretched into the sky, gracefully overlooking the skies around. Mozukai was awed by the beauty of the temple. The enormous towers were so amazing. He'd never seen anything like it.

Tiny shapes glided around the temple, while larger ones soared faster. Sky bison and airbenders were flying about the temple. Mozukai was eager to try out the glider he hoped he would be able to get.

"We're home, buddy," Akhang said, patting Yangto's head.

They soared over the clouds and a few gliders flew out to meet them. Akhang waved to the airbeners flying alongside them. They looked at Mozukai with confused looks. When they saw Toshi, they frowned and shook their heads.

Akhang gracefully brought Yangto to a land on a small ledge just below a part of the Air Temple and hopped off of the sky bison. The nomads gliding landed and Akhang ran up to them.

"Hey Ying!" greeted Akhang. "Hey Sonu! How are you guys?"

"We're great!" replied the taller of the two nomads. "Who's the new guy?"

By now, everyone had slid off of Yangto and were walking up to Akhang and his friends. Mozukai smiled. "Hello. I'm Mozukai," he said, sticking out his hand.

Ying and Sonu both shook hands with him and then started to converse with Akhang and the others. Mozukai and Toshi stood at the back of the group, feeling a bit awkward.

Footsteps on stone brought Mozukai's attention to the staircase leading up to the rest of the temple. Five old men walked in a single file line down the stone steps. Their hands were folded into their sleeves and they wore placid expressions.

"Greetings, Avatar Akhang," the head elder said.

"Masters," Akhang replied, holding a fast and flat hand together while bowing.

One of the elders in the back eyes darted to Toshi, who was trying to hide behind Shom. "Toshi!" he snapped. "Is that you?"

Toshi shuffled out from behind Shom, who turned around with a puzzled expression on his face and then shrugged.

"What are you doing here?" the elder interrogated.

"Master, see-" began Toshi.

"It's a long story," Akhang interrupted. "First, I would like you to meet my new friend, Mozukai." Akhang pulled the woodbender forward.

Mozukai stumbled forward and smiled weakly. "Hello," he grumbled. "I'm Mozukai. Nice to meet you."

The elders looked at each other and then dipped their heads at Mozukai. He backed up a few steps, his cheeks red in embarrassment. The elders looked back to Akhang. "And what is the purpose of your coming here?"

''Man, these guys are cold,'' Mozukai thought to himself.

"We wanted to get Mozukai a glider as we have with Kori, Shom, and Ishi," explained Akhang, shuffling his feet.

"We shall ponder the decision," muttered the head elder, stroking his chin. "But first, Akhang, you and Toshi must come with us and explain why Toshi is back two weeks early."

The five elders started to ascend back up the stairs, while Toshi followed right behind them. Akhang turned to his friends and rolled his eyes and then followed the Air Nomads up the steps.

Mozukai turned to the others. "So, what are we going to do?"

Shom shrugged. "We could go to the airball field and watch some Air Nomads play airball," suggested Ishi.

"Sounds good," Kori agreed.

The group set off up the stairs with Dudom and Gugom trailing behind them. For a while, they wandered around the outside of the temple before they reached a large ledge occupied by dozens of wooden poles sticking up out of the ground.

"Wow," gasped Mozukai as he watched several airbenders jump from pole to pole, tossing a wooden, porous ball back and forth and bouncing it off of the wooden poles. "That's so cool."

The group settled on a spot overlooking the court. For a moment, the airbenders looked at them but then continued on playing their game. Three goals were scored in the next minute and Mozukai was awed by how fast the game was played.

One of the nomads blew the ball away and it bounced off of a pole at an awkward angle. The ball came flying towards the precipice where the group was spectating. Mozukai shot out his arm and the ball stopped in midair. He pulled it back and then fired it forward towards the players.

A few surprised and confused shouts came up from the athletes. They sent the ball flying back towards Mozukai and he jumped up, halting it five feet in front of him. He spun the ball around his waist and then lightly threw it back to the airbenders.

Awed, the airbenders beckoned for Mozukai to come join them. He looked at his friends.

"You should go, Mozukai," said Kori. "We'll be cheering for you."

"Okay." Mozukai set off down the trail towards the airball court. He reached the bottom of one of the poles and then simply moved his hand away from it. Several wooden pegs shot out of the pole, allowing for him to climb up to the top.

"Hey!" cried one of the airbenders, waving his arms. "I'm Gemu. Do you know how to play airball?"

Mozukai shrugged. "Mozukai. Pretty much. I just hit it off the poles, correct?"

Gemu nodded. "You'll be on my team along with those two guys over there," he replied, pointing at two tall nomads standing by the goal posts. "Ready?"

Mozukai nodded and stood on a pole near the center of the court. Gemu rocketed the ball forward, bouncing off the giant pegs towards the opposing teams goal. It zoomed past Mozukai and towards one of the other players. The nomad let out a gust of air and the ball came flying towards Mozukai.

He spun his arms over his head and the ball turned away. With a downward thrust of his hands, the ball bounced off one of the poles and sped into the opposing team's goal.

A loud bell rang and Gemu yelled, "Alright Mozukai!"

Mozukai could hear Kori and Ishi clapping for him up on the ledge. He smiled and waved. Gemu hopped over onto the pole beside him.

"Well, you just won the game for us!" he congratulated, patting Mozukai on the back.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Mozukai, though he wished he could play the game longer. It was a lot of fun, even though he had only been playing for a few minutes.

Gemu and Mozukai hopped down onto the rocky floor. "So, how'd you control the ball like that?" inquired Gemu.

"Oh, I'm a woodbender," answered Mozukai, scratching his head.

"A woodbender? I've never heard of one of those."

"That's because I'm the only one," Mozukai muttered solemnly, suddenly feeling alone in the world.

Gemu nodded and patted Mozukai on the back. "That's okay, buddy," he said peacefully. "Think about it! You have a power no one else in the ''world'' has! That's great!"

"It's the lonliest feeling in the world, sometimes," grumbled Mozukai, looking down at the smooth rock ground with a frown.

Gemu backed away, realizing that saying that hadn't helped the situation at all. Mozukai looked up and smiled at Gemu. "Thanks for letting me play," the woodbender said.

"Hey, Mozukai!"

Mozukai looked up and saw Akhang sprinting down the slope to where his friends were sitting. He reached the ledge and jumped off, landing on the ground with a soft touch.

"Mozukai!" the Avatar called, jogging up to his friend. "The monks approved of you getting a glider!"

Laughing and smiling, Mozukai bounced up and down. "Really?! That's awesome. Let's go!"

"We'll be right back guys," Akhang called to Shom, Kori, and Ishi sitting up on the ledge.

With a giant burst of air, Akhang bounded to the top of the cliff overlooking the airball court. Mozukai jumped up and pulled his arms down. Woody bushes on the precipice bent down towards him and he grabbed onto their sturdy branches. He kicked his legs and swung upwards. The branches followed his movement and flung him up and over the cliff.

He landed with a thud and took off after Akhang.

They wound up and up the outside of the temple, passing all sorts of monks and airbenders. Winged lemurs flew around, diving in and invesitgating Mozukai.

"We'll be going up to Glider Tower," said Akhang, "the most popular place to start a glide." He pointed up ahead of them were a single tower stood further apart from the others, a large, open window facing the open skies around the Northern Air Temple.

Akhang and Mozukai clambered up a large staircase and started walking on a walkway at the rim of the temple. Akhang led Mozukai through a door at the base of the Glider Tower and they began to jog up the steps.

Five minutes later, huffing and puffing, Mozukai arrived at the doorway to the top floor. He strode through, where Akhang was standing next to a tall Nomad with graying hair.

"Guraydo, meet Mozukai," Akhang said, pointing at Mozukai. "Mozukai, meet Guraydo. He's in charge of the gliders around the temple."

Guraydo smiled at Mozukai. "You're glider will be a bit different than our regular gliders, due to the fact that you cannot airbend. So these will look the exact same, and I will describe to you how to use them."

He walked over to the wall where a solitary wooden stick lay. Delicately picking it up in his hands, he held it out to Mozukai. Mozukai took the glider in his hands and ran them down the smooth, firm wood. He closed his eyes and let his chi delve into the stick. He could sense the fragility and serenity of the staff.

Mozukai released the connection and then looked back up at Guraydo and Akhang. "Thank you." He bowed his head and both of them and then spun it in his hand. "So, how does this work?" he inquired, examining the outside.

"There's a small button near the top," Akhang explained. "Just press it and the wings will shoot out."

Mozukai located the button and gingerly pressed it. With a click, two large wings slid out of the top, while two smaller wings emerged near the bottom. He jumped back, surprised by how quickly the wings came out.

"How do I fly it?" he asked.

"You use your center of balance to keep it steady," began Guraydo, "and then tilt to either side to bank. The rest really just depends on the air currents. So try and not fly during a storm."

"Also, Mozukai, you'll be able to control it a little easier with woodbending. You could make it go up by shooting the staff forward and such."

Mozukai nodded, looking at the staff with excitement.

"Shall we go?" asked Akhang, pointing out the window.

Nodding Mozukai grabbed onto the handle-like bars of the wings and threw the glider behind him.

"I'll go first so I can help you if you fall," Akhang said. He ran to the window and jumped out, saoring out over the temple.

Looking out through the window, Mozukai's stomach momentarily curled at the thought of dropping hundreds of feet to the ground. But excitement prevailed and he sprinted forward and jumped out of the window.

For a moment, he freefell through the air, but then a strong updraft caught the glider and he jerked to a stop. A breeze pushed him forward and he began to zoom across the sky.

"Woooooo!" he yelled gleefully.

Akhang flew up beside him, smiling. "How do you like it?" he yelled over the wind.

"It's amazing!" screamed Mozukai, a huge grin on his face.

The two friends soared over the temple. Mozukai banked to the left and he glided over the airball court. Ten nomads were competing against each other while Shom, Ishi, and Kori relaxed on the ledge, watching the unique sport.

Cool summer breezes blew around Mozukai. The sun shone in the sky, casting a golden glow across the clouds beneath the temple. Mozukai dove down and then tilted the glider straight again, slowly gliding around the temple. A sky bison with several Nomads on its back soared out of the clouds, leaving a streak of the sky-fog curling up from the white covering.

Akhang floated down beneath Mozukai. The woodbender looked at his friend happily, joy dancing in his eyes. "This is the greatest feeling in the world!" he exclaimed, catching an updraft and shooting upwards.

Akhang followed Mozukai higher into the sky. Mozukai spun around and faced the temple again. The soaring spires of the Northern Air Temple stood proudly beneath them, looking small and diminutive from such a high altitude.

"Everything's so peaceful up here," muttered Mozukai, looking down on the temple with a placid expression.

"Yeah, it is," Akhang mused. "We should probably get back. The elders want to talk about what happened in the town."

"But didn't you already tell them?" Mozukai asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Well, Toshi said he wouldn't speak until you got your glider," explained Akhang, "and then continued to say that the entire group would come and explain what had happened."

With a nod, Mozukai replied, "So he just doesn't want to be around the elders alone, or with a fellow Air Nomad. He wants foreigners with him so the elders can't punish him too severly in case we would spread rumors that the Air Nomads are cannibalistic savages."

Akhang started to nod, but then paused and blinked abruptly, looking puzzled. "Well, I guess you could put it that way."

The duo glided down to the airball court and landed just beside Shom, Ishi, and Kori. They hopped up. "How was it, Mozukai?" asked Kori, staring at his glider.

"Amazing," answered Mozukai breathlessly.

"No time for small talk!" urged Akhang. "Come on!" He took off sprinting up the path. The others followed him at a steady pace and they wound up the temple tiers towards the elder's tower.

The tower began lower on the mountain, allowing an entrance at the top room to be open on one of the higher-up tiers. Akhang led the group through the door and into a warm-lit, circular room with a spectacular view over the temple and the mountain.

"Greetings," said one of the elders, sitting on a small platform alongside the other leaders.

Akhang dipped his head at them as the others filed in, Toshi running up behind them. He arrived at the door and strode into the room with an air of calmness and indifference.

The head elder shifted his shoulders and glared at Akhang. Mozukai flinched at the daggers his eyes were sending and immediately felt pity for Toshi and the Avatar.

"Explain everything," he demanded.

Akhang cleared his throat. "Well, first off, we met Mozukai in an area of the huge forest in the western Earth Kingdom. From then on, we stopped at a town a hundred miles east of Mt. Makapu. There was a festival going on, and the next day we stopped in the town for lunch.

"That's when we met Toshi. He was sitting in the corner, trying to remain inconspicuous. But when two thugs began to harass two girls, he tried to stop them. They fought back, and Mozukai, Kori, Shom, and I all joined in the fight."

"The benders were amazing," put in Kori. "Much better than two on their own should have been."

"After a long fight that we were losing, since Toshi had been blasted out of the shop, Mozukai exploded the wooden roof and walls, thus ending the battle," Akhang carried on. "We grabbed Toshi and fled tje city with the guards chasing after us.

"Once Toshi awoke, he revealed that the two men were from the Four Fusion Furies, and then we came here," concluded Akhang, drooping his shoulders.

Gasps of shock and expressions of disbelief arose from the elders and their eyes widened, fear pervading through the room. The head elder stood up, anger flashing in his gray eyes.

"Toshi, how dare you put your own temple in danger like this?" he hissed, glaring at Toshi.

The young Nomad also rose, his eyes narrowed at the elder. "I didn't realize who they were until the battle started, so let's stop wasting time pointing fingers and start working on how to defend our home."

Mozukai nodded in agreement and looked at the elders. "He's right. I may just have arrived here, and it might not be appropriate for me to be speaking out, but I agree with Toshi. And I will fight alongside you and do anything I can to help you before the Four Fusion Furies get here," he concluded, his insides flickering nervously. He wasn't sure if the elders would punish him for speaking out against them, but he had to do it.

Akhang and the others nodded their consent. The elders looked at each other through the corners of the eyes and then nodded. "You are right, Toshi, and young Mozukai," the head elder announced, dipping his head at both of them. "We will begin preparations right away." He turned his head to a short elder at the end of the platform. "Fetch Yasa. We must begin planning immediately."

The elder nodded and jogged out of the room. Akhang smiled up at the head elder. "Thank you, Master Gyan. I am sorry for the trouble we have called, but we won't let the Four Fusion Furies take down our home!"

Mozukai smiled at Akhang's words. He was ready to fight alongside his friends and defeat the Four Fusion Furies.


End file.
